The Cul-De-Sac Chronicles

Moments: Goodbye Hazelwood Manor.

2008-07-10T19:31:00.004-05:00

Sad but true, we bid adeu to our beloved Hazelwood Home of 4 years. And although we are looking forward to our next season of life in our new house, parting with *this* house is bittersweet. I feel like so much has happened in our family since moving in....my mindset, faith, friendships, self-awareness, priorities are so changed. I truly feel like a different person. I put my heart into re-decorating the interiors, making it a 'forever' home that grandbabies would come to visit. And yet life doesn't quite work out the way we plan, now, does it? When I'm feeling a bit ovewhelmed by the loss of our Hazelwood home, I balance the emotion with memories of the yard that needed thousands of dollars of work, the paper-thin windows, the way I couldn't position my bedroom furniture in any other way than it was, and the sheer hugeness of it.

We've downsized a bit, not much, but enough for us to realize how much crap we own and don't use. I waste entirely too much energy trying to figure out where to store it, whether we should keep it with the 'rainy day' mentality, and where I should ultimately dump it, putting it out of it's misery. I'm still trying to persue a simpler lifestyle, less gadgets, less time worrying over mere things, more time with the people in my life I love. Kinda hard right now.....seeing as there's still boxes stacked everywhere. But I'm determined.

Please remind me of this as I plot and plan all the things I want to do with this new dwelling. Already my mind is spinning out of control with paint ideas, furniture ideas, wall removal ideas. None of which we have money for, and all of which I promised my dh could wait until we were 'settled'.....but settled means different things to different folks, no?

I've decided to breathe deep each day, ignore the wallpaper, and be thankful we can afford such a wonderful house. Any ideas what to rename this blog? Our new street name doesn't exactly flow the way Hazelwood did. I'm leaning toward "The Cul-de-sac Chronicles". Yay or nay?

PS. Here is a picture of the knight in shining armor who helped us move the aforementioned crap in not one but two 26 ft truck loads. He is the son of a moving man, and has the shirt to prove it. He packed our stuff with the greatest of ease....just like Tetras, says he. Thank you Thank you Thank you Mr. N for your cheerful attitude, expertise, and unrelenting perserverance in moving our family from point A to point B. We truly couldn't have done it without you!

Musings: These beauties are mine????

2008-07-10T05:05:00.006-05:00

Yeah, ok, I'll admit it. I'm stunned everytime I see my girls in a picture. I'm stunned at how grown up they are, at how pretty they are, and how happy they seem. Sure, pictures never tell the whole story, but I revel in these snapshots of my babies, just as I did when they really were babies.

So here are my three princesses enjoying a girls' night at M's new apartment ...yes, she's officially flown the coop and is playing house on her own with my cast off furniture. Kinda the designer 'early parent's attic' motif. It works. (...and come on now, how many of us have fond memories of feathering our first nest with decades old pieces from supportive family and friends anxious to rid themselves of eyesores and yet feel good about 'recycling' for a good cause...pondering how a navy blue plaid couch and fiberboard bookshelves should sit just so on the wall and how the red shag carpet remnant adds the perfect touch of warmth?)

For funsies I dug up some older photos my hubby scanned into the 'puter.

Here's a shot of the three girls with their big brother circa '99:

And another shot of the two olders with their papa circa '93:

Here is Baby G in a collage in '94 (K is in the tub, and C is celebrating birthday no. 8 on his shared birthday with dad who's turning a ripe 28 *grin*)

The whole gang, adding B and Baby S in '01:

*sigh* Time flies.

Moments: She made it.

2008-06-06T20:11:00.003-05:00

It's been the longest, shortest 4 years of my life. As I watched my oldest baby girl receive all manner of accolades and awards over the last couple weeks, culminating in her class march to receive her Honors with Distinction Diploma, I found myself in this really weird place....I was straining to 'feel' the significance of these brief moments. Straining to grasp the reality that she'll be moving out within the month, on her own forever, no longer flitting thru my house with friends and emotions and laughter and tears.

I suppose we all do this during defining moments of life....our graduation, our wedding, the birth of our first child, our first mortgage, our child's driver's license, etc. Times we will look back on thru memories in a photo album or the tug of emotion in our gut as we ponder the past. At the time we tell ourselves, "well, this is it, this is a defining moment, and we'll remember this forever." But while I sat in my seat in the massive arena last night, waiting patiently for the stream of red robes to make their way thru the formal traditions of our nation's graduation ceremony, I was struck again by the slow-motion way these events occur as they're happening, only to reach the end and wonder how yesterday the doctor was telling me "you have a girl".

The sages tell us to savor these passing moments, so I've tried to really do so, taking lots of pictures, and basking in my emmense pride over this beautiful creation I brought into the world just 18.5 years ago. I turn over in my mind the little goofy things she did growing up, and passion she exudes for living life. And I'm getting it. We are living in the moment, stressful as it can be, living it fully with emotions in tact and in full swing.

I was worried I should cry at the ceremony and maybe wouldn't. But I needn't have worried. The monotonous pomp and circumstance wove its magic thru the tensions and harried-ness of the last week. Seeing my stunning daughter walk up to her place before the stage in the midst of the music and the banners, I was having a hard time keeping it together.

So here she is, on Awards Night, balancing her many acheivements garnered after four years of hard work, smiling her incandescent smile. And here she poses with her sibs, having moved the tassle from one side to the other:

And here is her dad and I, feeling every bit the 22 year old I was when she was handed to me at St. Joseph Hospital in 1989, still glorying in her presence, still worrying I'll let her down, still feeling incapable of being who she needs me to be for her. And yet, she is an adult now, me a middle age mama, bewildered that she's been mine for such a short time and preparing to let her belong to herself and to the brilliant future that awaits her.

Dearest M,

You are light and strength and irrepressible grace. I look back on the last almost 20 years in fear and trembling, knowing I've not been as I longed to be for you so many times. But as we stand on the precipice of the nest, know that I gave you my heart and now give you my blessing to fly away into your life with joy and expectation for all good things. You are an amazing, talented, beautiful young woman......I am so proud of you, not just because of your accomplishments, but because you are part of me, part of my heart. Be kind to yourself, believe in big things, but don't let the little things pass by without notice. You have so much to offer the world with your smile and your empathy and your passion, and I'm certain you'll be a blessing to many, many people who will cross your path. It's pretty much inevitable.

Thank you for being my Schmodie.

Now, go do your thang, girl!

Musings: Last day of school.

2008-06-02T06:56:00.004-05:00

Someone pinch me. It's over. I made it. The kids are currently sitting in their respective schools on the last day of the school year. I've gone back and read the posts I made documenting the ups and downs of the start of this year, and the bumps along the way, and I'm incredulous that we're done.

I have a glorious couple months to re-evaluate what will happen for the next school year. Whatever happens, it's gonna be a completely different experience. First off, we'll be in a new house in a new school district. Second, another of my chicks will have flown the nest, shrinking my little brood down to a mere four. Third, I'll have 2 kids in two different school district's high schools....and at least one at home. Haven't completely decided what the 3rd grader will do yet, but I'm holding out hope that he'll still be home with me for yet another year.

In many ways I feel ok with my life, with all the changes that keep things exciting. On the other hand, I feel tremendously afraid, that I might be really wrecking my kids' lives, that this whole moving thing is a mistake. Sophocles said children are the anchors that hold a mother to life. Yeah, he ain't kiddin'. How care-free life would be if I didn't have to worry about the well-being of my kids! And yet how completely meaningless my life would be without them. They bring a grittiness to my life that keeps me firmly planted into the firmament, reminding me I'm still made of dust.

Living with the regrets of my choices and experiences is a part of my life, the twisted threads that make up the tapestry of my being, and so I've resolved myself to appreciating their patterned presence in the fabric. I am a human. I will need to make countless decisions on countless days regarding my kids, and lots of those days will be fraught with stress, lack of sleep, and other earthy stuff that necessarily means I'm not gonna do it 'right' a lot of the time. But I'll try to be honest in hindsight, forgiving in the present, and hopeful for the future.

And I'll buy my kids lots of Summer Snow slushies, cause they make the world a better place.

Moments: Save the Last Dance '08 North Side DanceSkins

2008-05-30T17:01:00.014-05:00

K with her buds in costume #1

Bein' silly with another buddy in costume #2

Still goofin' with some more buds in costume #3

Last practice...arms up!

Now arms out!

Sashe' 1-2-3, 1-2-3...

Special trio dance...Stairway to Heaven

Rock it Babe!

Work it Girl!

Attitude.

'Twas a great show, and the girls in all five levels worked really hard. Each group 1-V did a tap, ballet, jazz, and modern. K was in Dance 1V, and is looking forward to Dance V next year.....

Moments: Prom '08

2008-05-19T07:26:00.018-05:00

Waiting for the Big Reveal! (er, for their dates to arrive)
Another view....
A flower for K's honey.
A flower for M's honey.
K and K.
M and N.
The two princesses and a handsome prince.
The two princesses and a second prince.
And princess number 3 joins in....
The two princesses and their Knight in Shining Armor.
Queen Mother with the royal daughters.
M and N with K and K. Can't believe these beautiful ladies are mine little girls.
M and N with her besty L and her date C.
K with her crowd. (It was IMPOSSIBLE to get the guys to hold still for a picture!)
Let's go already!
Sweet! And fun was had by all.

Misadventures: Um, yeah, I'll claim him.

2008-05-14T21:25:00.003-05:00

Let me introduce my oldest hatchling.

Striking family resemblance, eh?

Misadventures: New Life and Motherly Instincts

2008-05-04T08:11:00.005-05:00

Mrs. Robin thought she'd found the perfect place to build her nest. Unfortunately for her that place was a pot of gerber daisies I managed to kill off in a week's span and had placed just below my kitchen window on an old rickety shelf.....Fortunately for us, we can get front row seats for the coming show!

Poor Mother Robin must make the daily choice to overcome her naturally skiddish nature as she sits atop her precious blue treasures while bogart the big, loud dog comes bounding out the door to bark at indescriminate objects in the yard every hour or so. Sometimes instinct takes over and she 'flies the coop', only to hop,hop, hop back to her nest as soon as she realizes "oh, it's just that dopey dog again". She sometimes seems a bit nervous when I'm running water, or trying to get a closer look at her beautiful feathers and deep black eyes....but in all, she's a real trooper, risking unwanted gazes and bumbling beasts to protect her offspring.

When she's off her perch, we sneak out and take pictures of the stunningly vibrant torquoise eggs. I'm thankful the creator came up with this color, as it's my favoritest in the whole wide world....Here's B doing some show and tell:

Moments: I knew Jane Austen would play a role!

2008-04-25T09:15:00.006-05:00

On Wednesday night, my oldest daughter won the Sterling Sentinel award for English/Literature. Seniors from 20 local high schools are nominated by their teachers in their respective area. The nominees then go thru a rigorous battery of essays, questionaires and interviews. M worked REALLY hard on all this, and was rewarded with a plaque and a cash award for $1500. We were proud parents for sure! Here's the official announcement made when her name was called:

The award recipient in the ENGLISH / LITERATURE category:
-Is a member of the National Honor Society, the National Forensic League and the Quill and Scroll Society.
- Is a Sectional Champion and State Semi-finalist in the Prose Reading category for Speech.
-Plans to pursue a Bachelors Degree in Communication with a focus on design and visual graphics.

Judges comments included:
-“Well-rounded … very aware of and interested in the world around them.”
-“A very personable and passionate young person who will succeed in whatever they decide to do.”
-“Reflects a passion for life that is not only refreshing, but encouraging.”

Please join us in congratulating our Sterling Sentinel Scholarship recipient in ENGLISH / LITERATURE …

From North Side High School: M(...) H(...)

Here she is with a proud papa!

And lastly, here's the write up in the News-Sentinel, which sponsors the program each year:

By Cindy Larson

of The News-Sentinel

M(...) E. H(...)
North Side High School

Achievements: H(...) has ranked in the top 10 of her class her freshman, sophomore and junior years. She has won a sectional championship in speech and was state semifinalist in the prose reading category in her freshman year. She was a member of the National Honor Society the last three years, and she was graphic design editor of the yearbook her junior and senior years.

Activities: As a senior, H(...) has interned at Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Co. in marketing communications. She also volunteered on a missions trip to Nashville and Franklin, Tenn., in Oct. 2007. At school, H(...) took part in choir her freshman and sophomore years, as well as varsity cheerleading the last three years.

Comments: Ellen Figel, a North Side High School teacher, decribed H(...) as “Not just a writer, M(...) is a communicator. Where most students present information in an expected format, M(...) gives it flair. She is all about the presentation. She never just does an assignment; she re-creates it.”

Plans: Her goal is to become an expert in all forms of communication, including world languages, art, logic, journalism, creative writing, vocal and theater, and to share that knowledge with others.

STERLING SENTINEL AWARDS 2008
The 24th annual Sterling Sentinel Awards honored area high school seniors nominated for the Sterling Sentinel scholarships in 14 subject areas. Since The News-Sentinel started the Sterling Sentinel Awards in 1985, we've referred to all the nominees as winners because it is an honor for them to be selected by their schools in their categories.

They are seniors at Allen, DeKalb and Whitley county high schools. The subject areas they represent are journalism, arts, athletics, business, drama, English/literature, foreign language, industrial/vocational, mathematics, music/instrumental, music/ voice, science, social studies and speech. The scholarship recipients in each category reflect the best of the best as determined by panels of judges who interviewed them. As always, students were nominated for the scholarships by their schools.

In early March, the young men and women appeared before the judges, who had previously studied their nomination applications. The judges -- educators, professionals in the student's field and News-Sentinel staff -- selected the winner in each category. The journalism recipient receives a $3,000 scholarship. Recipients in each of the other categories receive $1,500 scholarships.

The Sterling Sentinel Awards program is one of the ways The News-Sentinel recognizes the outstanding academic achievement of young people in our area. During the past 23 years, we have honored nearly 5,000 students from as many as 26 high schools, and we've given away more than half a million dollars in scholarships.

Moments: Making History.....

2008-04-04T18:53:00.003-05:00

Two of my girls and I were volunteers for the Obama Town Hall Meeting today in Fort Wayne. We had a blast! You can see lots more pictures and details of our day on our other blog . I also posted his 11 minute speech. It was an incredible day!

Musings: 4 years ago

2008-03-29T13:20:00.003-05:00

Four years ago my family and I began to settle into our new (to us) home here on Hazelwood Ave. We were giddy with a lower mortgage payment, closer proximity to the city, and a house in desparate need of some TLC that we knew we could give it. We thought this might be our 'forever house', a place where grandkids would run in the same yard as aunts and uncles had previously.

Enter Life, stage left. The only problem came when we needed to put our formerly homeschooled kids into the local district's classrooms. That wasn't even on our radar as we looked for homes. Now, having almost graduated one and 2 more coming up, the schools have become the giant elephant refusing to be ignored. so we're back to house-hunting again.

We've played thru several scenarios.....move to an outlying area where schools are 'quite' as drug infested or academically challenged. Oldest dd won't have any of it. And really, I don't want to live out there either. Suburbia scares me more than urbania. We don't 'fit' that mold, and I'd live in frustration trying to explain why we don't have brand new cars, hired help, the newest Wii and iPod every month. That's a reality I don't want to fight.

Now we're visiting private schools, thinking we'll stay in the district for the oldest one (with SEVERE limitations and boundaries), but purchase a smaller house with a smaller mortgage to compensate the tuition costs. Well and good, excpect younger dd is furious about leaving her friends in the public school.

And watching the political process trip thru it's ridiculous circuit has brought up the idea of Canada. Not really, but might be nice.

Add to this, we've seen a few houses we have liked, but they always sell before we can make an offer. So today, there's a Century 21 sign in the yard. No more messin' around. We're moving. Where? Dunno. When? Dunno. Why? Ummmm...... Because life just won't be controlled or planned. Because bringing 6 kids into the world tends to bring change every couple years. Because I think change is good.

I think it will all work out, but it will be messy and not perfect. I'm ready for that. It's been bittersweet getting this house ready for its next occupants, but it needs a family that can appreciate its size. I'm downwardly mobile, looking for a bit more simplicity than this home can offer me. No house is worth bad schools. Living smaller and freeing up finances seems more my style. Gives us more choices, and a (albeit fleeting) sense of control.

So, maybe we'll make it 5 years in our next place. Who knows? (If you do, please email me. I might seem okay with the unknown, but actually I'm rather weirded out by all this.)

Moments: Pics of some more of my gang!

2008-02-29T20:07:00.005-05:00

Moments: Winter's Calm Fury

2008-02-29T19:50:00.006-05:00

Moments: Hey! My son and his band are in the paper!

2008-02-29T10:05:00.006-05:00

Read all about my son's band Alabaster Fox in today's Journal Gazette Weekender.

Of course I'm emmensely proud. Yeah, the masks are a bit weird, but that's par for the course for my first born (second from the right next to his purty wife).

Moments: Semi-Formal.

2008-02-09T21:07:00.000-05:00

K and her 'date' A. They spent HOURS getting ready today.

M all jazzed up....

M and her beau Z, who has thrown out his knee. He's making the big sacrifice to chapperone all these lovely ladies.

And they *are* lovely ladies.....

Can't Get Enough........

2008-02-06T16:44:00.000-05:00

Moments: The Prodigy

2008-02-02T04:40:00.000-05:00

Nothing so beautiful as your offspring posing in front of Cindy's castle in the Florida sun....please disregard the coats as it was a balmy 45 degrees that morning. Better than 12 below, eh?

Moments: Everybody pretty?

2008-01-16T20:04:00.000-05:00

It's that time again......

A visit to The Mouse's Kingdom!!!

We're at T-2 days till blast off, and our Grand Caravan will be weighted down with all manner of vacation paraphenalia. This year, all the kids....even my married son and his wife...will be joining us. My parents will drive up from Naples to join in the fun too!

Our family is sorely in need of some time away....away from deadlines, relationships, pressures, gloomy overcast skies, you name it. We're heading for a major shift in life this next year as daughter #1 prepares to fly the coop and feather her first nest at college. Daughter #3 will be starting high school in the fall (Yikes!), and I will probably go back to homeschooling the two little guys. I'm sure there will be more surprises ahead as we redefine our roles (again), rearrange bedrooms (again), and renew our values and commitments as a family (again). I hope this time away for our family will offer many opportunities for sharing hopes, dreams, encouragements, even disappointments.....

I am more thankful every year that we can make this trek to Disney World. Each year I remind myself "this might be the last time", and so I set about making happy memories as if we might never see Tinkerbell make her glowing flight from the tippy-top of Cindy's Castle. *sniff*

Peace.

Musings: Our Year in Review

2007-12-22T20:39:00.000-05:00

Merry Holidays! Here’s a whirlwind tour of the highlights of 2007:

~January brought our 10th trip to Disney. K, G, and the boys joined us for one of our best trips ever. We’re heading back in 4 weeks!

~February we watched B and S play Upwards Basketball…B was voted the ‘White Star’ for the most Christ-like player….which brings much solace to his mother’s heart.

~In March, we became a house with 3 teenage girls (run for cover!) as G hit the big 13. Mom hit the BIG 4-0. Both celebrated with parties and friends.

~April was K’s high school dance show, where we discovered again what a gift she has!

~May gave Mom the first opportunity to show off her newest craft….handmade soap. She is frequently found donning goggles and gloves in her ‘secret lab’. Also, Dad, Mom and the boys joined their new church, Maplewood Mennonite where the boys had previously attended preschool.

~June started with a camping trip for Dad with some favorite friends, a trip with the kids to our city’s awesome children’s zoo, and Mom attended a couple for the birth of their first baby. Our oldest C and his wife A celebrated their second anniversary and moved to a new apartment.

~July….time at the lake with the H clan, skiing, tubing, eating, and enjoying the sunshine and relaxation. M began working at Brotherhood Mutual Insurance, bring the total to 3 Harveys gracing those hallowed halls. (C in Building and Grounds, Dad in IS).

~August saw Mom registering all but one child in public school. S started all-day Kindergarten, G’s an 8th grader at Lakeside Middle School, K and M are back at North Side High (10th and 12th). B (2nd) gets Mom all to himself….also, C celebrated his 21st birthday (as his dad celebrated his 41st!). M’s job at Botherhood Mutual became an official internship….

~September was a BUSY month….all three girls were cheering for football season, K enjoyed the traditional blow-out party for her sweet 16, the V's came for the fabulous Johnny Appleseed Festival, and Mom attended another couple for the birth of their second child. Oh, and Dad went on another fun-filled canoe/hiking/camping trips with his homies.

~October wished M a blessed 18th ( a year for big birthday celebrations, eh?). She spent her birthday with her Dad on a missions trip to a small bi-lingual congregation on the outskirts of Nashville TN. A great experience! S lost both front teeth just in time for his school picture….

~November allowed the boys a fantastic trip to the Ringling Bros Circus with H cousins. Mom and Dad went to Indy to hear Rob Bell. G joined the Step/Dance team and performed at the mall to ring in the holiday shopping season. K was awarded the peer-chosen ‘Spirit Award’ from her fall Cheer Squad. M began furiously filling out college applications to Purdue, Ball State, Huntington, and IPFW. (Handouts welcome)

And that brings us to December….which finds the H family winding down 2007 under a blanket of snow, with Johnny Mathis singing songs of the season, and lego men overtaking Mom’s Dicken’s Village (see post below). We’re taking a giant breath in preparation for 2008, which will bring new adventures (another kiddo flying the coop!), and new opportunities for learning more about how to serve others in the name of Christ.

May this Christmas bring you renewed peace, hope and love.

Misadventures: Dickens meets the 21st Century...

2007-12-10T07:21:00.000-05:00

Our family awoke this morning to the horror of giant bionicles overtaking the Boarding School in our Dickens Village. It seems S. was up before the rest of us....

If you look closely, just below the monster's leg, a wee bit of yellow is sticking out. That would be B's contribution of miniture Lego men placed strategically in front of several of the homes and shops of the Village. *grin*

The Martha Stewart in me is experiencing cruel and unusual punishment, but methinks it's time to kill her off anyway, yeah?

Musings: The yearly Christmas Tree Ritual.

2007-12-04T22:16:00.000-05:00

Misadventures: Craft Fair Bust.

2007-11-19T09:09:00.000-05:00

Well, my set-up looked good.....but it seemed no one was too interested in handmade soap on Saturday, so I came home with boxes and boxes still loaded down with product. In light of this, I have set up my display at home so that any and all may stop by to shop for Christmas gifts or just for themselves at my wee Basement Boutique. If you bring a friend, you'll get a free bar of soap! I have all kinds of coolio things to choose from:

olive oil soaps
specialty/seasonal soaps
liquid soaps
bath sets
aromatic diffusers
perfume balms
lip balms
scented sachets
gift sets
kids soaps
bargain basket

I'm also spending the day updating the website, so feel free to check that out and email me what you'd like. I can ship anywhere as well.

I hate using this space for advertising, but it's convenient and free, so there ya go.

Simple Indulgence Handmade Artisan Soap

Moments: Don't Forget!

2007-11-16T17:16:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow (Saturday the 17th) I'll be selling my wares at the North Side High School Craft Bazaar. It runs 9-3.

Come see me!

Moments: Spirit Award

2007-11-12T14:53:00.000-05:00

K won the peer-chosen 'Spirit Award' for the cheer squad! It generally goes to a Senior, so we're really proud of her.

I don't know where she gets it from........

Musings: where we find ourselves.

2007-11-08T07:43:00.000-05:00

We're eeking thru week 12 with school. It's about this time that I start counting the weeks till we're done. Stupid, I know. But we *are* a third of the way thru!

I'm fairly settled in our choices, finally. The driving schedule is still maniacal, but at least it's routine in its inconsistencies...(this is Thursday: K doesn't have cheer practice so pick up at regular time: G *does* have cheer and/or dance practice BUT not today because it's a half-day for parent/teacher conferences: S gets picked up an hour after G, then I turn around and go back to school for parent/teacher conferences: tonight is girls' cheer banquet at the high school) And the beat goes on....

B is plugging thru on schedule at home as well. We've pared down just a bit so I can spend time preparing for the Craft Bazaar (which is the beauty of homeschooling), but we'll ramp it up in a couple weeks again to end the semester.

M has a new beau, or 2, or 3. I like beau #1 best, and not just because he's the almost-step-son of a wonderful friend. He was over last night going thru the ritual Hazelwood Initiation Ceremony for all prospective boyfriends....a classic Bogart movie, Casablanca. He passed with flying colors. He even humored me early in the evening by watching snippets of my Joshy Groban DVD without vomitting. What a guy! He'll be taking M to his semi-formal in a couple weeks. So I'm rooting for #1. I'll keep ya posted *wink*

Tom Henry was chosen by over 60% of the city voters on Tuesday to be the newest Mayor. I'm stoked. Totally. I won't bother to list all the reasons why, but suffice it to say I love it when calm, cool, level-headed folks win the day.

As for me, I'm still crazy in love with my husband. Truly. He inspires me as no other in his persistency, kindness, logic, servant heart, and devotion to me and the kids. I know I have a gem, and every now and then I fear losing him. I just can't imagine life without him anchoring us and guiding us. Cliche', yes. But the longer we're married, the more that cliche' enters the realm of reality. I love him as I've loved no other, in my haphazard, incomplete way. I don't deserve him, and I'm thankful he's mine.

So, life putters along with a few backfires, the tank generally on empty, and the backseat full of kids and their adventures in Growing Up. We find ourselves on lots of detours, or lost in the wilderness, or driving at night without a map....but somehow we manage to get back on the main drag thru town along with the many others journeying thru.

Peace.

Moments: Hey. Go vote. I mean it.

2007-11-06T06:55:00.000-05:00

If you don't, you can't complain about politicians....and then what fun would life be?

Do take the time and give an opinion at the polls. You'll like yourself better. I promise.

(Go Tom, Go!)

Misadventures: Life sucker-punches once again....

2007-11-02T08:07:00.000-05:00

2.5 years ago, a dear friend of mine lost her husband rather suddenly to a rare form of leukemia just after moving to Australia to be involved in a church that cared for street folks. She was left alone with 3 young kids, moved back to the States, and started rebuilding her life.

Monday, her oldest son (11) was diagnosed with the same cancer. His survival rate is 60%. He needs a bone marrow transplant and has started aggressive chemotherapy. Because this cancer was not thought to be genetically passed, more tests are being done. Her other two kids will also have blood work done to determine if they are free of cancer and if they are a match for the bone marrow.

So what category does this freakish thing fit? In Anne Lamott terms, I believe it's called the LOTF (Land of the F*cked).

Please pray for them as they once again travel the emotional road of fear, pain, and darkness.

Edited to add: please see the link on the upper left under the picture to read about Alex and his family.

Moments: And Grand Ones at That...

2007-10-30T07:18:00.000-05:00

My oldest daughter and hubby have been gone for the last 5 days on a mission trip to Tennessee. I won't bother to fill you in because my dd has kept an AMAZING blog about their experiences. Please go read it....it will validate me as a mom. I guess I didn't raise no stupid kid, and I guess my passion for the 'least of these' was not lost on her. (Prolly should remind you to scroll down and start reading at the beginning, Friday Oct. 26 once you get there. Now get clickin'.)

Two Cent Cup of Coffee

Yeah, I know. She's brilliant.

Moments: Soaping like nobody's business!

2007-10-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

Other than schooling B, driving G, S, K, and many of their various friends around Fort Wayne, and slumping on the 'puter, I've been making soap and sundries like a madwoman. I'm preparing for a craft show held at my dds' high school. I hate craft shows, by the way, but the table rental goes to the school, and I was assured they get a good crowd.

Anyway, shown above are a few of the soapies I've made recently which will be available for purchase by the slice at the show:

Top is Sleigh Ride, Blue Christmas, and Crackling Fire (christmas soaps)

Next is Oats, Goats & Honey made with pulverized oatmeal, goatsmilk and raw honey (duh)

3rd is Mocha Divinity...made with brewed coffee and grounds, great kitchen soap!

Fourth is Blue Heaven, which is a dupe of Aqualina's Blue Sugar...men will dig this one and so will the women who love them. (Angie, remember the pic I sent you????)

Next is Dilled Mint, smells divine....

Bottom left is Gingered Lemon & Sage, bottom right is Vegan Virgin....no animal derived ingredients, no scent, no color.

I've got several more to take pics of (just finished 3 more christmas-y scents: Candy Cane, Christmas Pine, and 'Tis the Season, as well as liquid soaps, shower gels, body mists and butters, aromatherapy reed diffusers, lip balms, scented sachets, gift baskets, and much more!

(Do I sound like a commercial yet?)

Stop by and see me on Nov. 17, anytime between 9-3 at North Side High School. (Iffin yer real nice t'me, y'all can run by my abode to buy too.....)

Misadventures: Ah yes, I do remember why I put him in school...

2007-10-17T10:31:00.000-05:00

We're officially in week eight of the school year, that time when the honeymoon is WAY over and I'm itching for some change. I have this seemingly insatiable desire to mix it up a bit. This means, in technical terms, I'm second-guessing myself (again).

My current focus has been S. who we sent to all-day kindergarten (which I consider cruel and unusual punishment for a 5-6 year old). I took a field trip to the Dekalb Co. Fair with his class, and found myself in a never ending single file line, snaking our way thru the never ending poo piles of various barn-yard animals, hearing the never ending whining of children over the never ending stench of the animal stalls. Anyway, on the bus ride home, half the class fell asleep. Their teacher mentioned that she hates that there is no 'rest time' during the day for her kids. The are allowed a 5 minute head-down-on-table rest after lunch. STOOOOPIIIID.

S. comes home from school rather grouchy and tired most days, often falling asleep on the couch for an hour or so in the most hilarious positions. I feel kinda sorry for him. Hence my apprehension in continuing to send him away each day for glorified babysitting.

Well, yesterday, S. woke up with a stuffy nose and a hacking cough (convenient) so I decided to keep him home. This was a brilliant effort on the part of the Powers that Be for showing me why he will continue on at all day Kindergarten. The nonstop chaos at my house was enough to put me in my psycho mode for most of the day. The jumping, pounding, fighting, yelling, giggling, running and all manner of 'boy activities' throughout the day made it excruciatingly obvious that I DO NOT want days of this on end. B. couldn't get school done because of the distractions his brother presented each nano-second of the day. I couldn't find a few free moments (that I'm getting spoiled with while just having one kiddo home with me) to get anything done, be it work or play.

So, S. will stay in school. And I won't revisit this again. Until another 8-10 weeks passes by and I'm itching to switch things up again.....

Moments: My baby girl is a SENIOR!

2007-10-02T09:28:00.000-05:00

Moments: Get Rowdy, Get Tough....

2007-09-29T08:47:00.000-05:00

G. cheers for the Lancers!

M. gets it going for the Redskins!

K. screams for the Skins!

The bleachers hurt my hind quarters. Just thought I'd mention that as I spend so much dang time warming them....

Misadventures: Additional perks of public schooling.

2007-09-29T08:24:00.001-05:00

Well now, I was wondering what to do with our landscaping....

And wondering too, why my dog wouldn't come upstairs at 2 AM. Hmmmmmm.

Moments: A Sly and Precious Thing.

2007-09-22T12:10:00.000-05:00

Go hear my son's awesome music!

Alabaster Fox

If you're round these parts next weekend, you can see him live at the Fire Fly. I'll be there (with ear plugs).

Yeah, I'm proud.

Moments: Here's my babies...

2007-09-15T18:10:00.001-05:00

Mumblings: lessons plans take too much time!

2007-08-29T13:32:00.000-05:00

Not that I hate doing it....it's one of my favorite parts of homeschooling actually.
After a week using what I'd purchased, I'm already 'tweaking' (a technical term that we school-at-homers use to explain why we're still obsessing over curriculum choices.)

We're dropping Horizons Language Arts (includes phonics, reading, spelling and handwriting) in favor of MCP Plaid Phonics B, Houghton/Mifflin's 2nd grade reader "Silly Things Happen", CLP's Nature Readers 1, and The Beginner's Bible for reading. Spelling and handwriting will be combined in our daily Copywork: quotes, scripture, poetry, grammar terms, etc that we're coming across in other subject areas. I'm also adding First Language Lessons, where we'll derive poetry and grammar terms, and hone narration skills. I'm zipping thru it 2 lessons a day as it's for 1st and 2nd grades and I want to finish by year's end. I've also decided to try a curriculum for our morning bible/devotions time....ordered Beginnings II: Jesus our Shepherd from the Explorer's Bible Study materials. We shall see....I abhor packaged bible studies, but these came highly recommended, highly non-denominational, and I assume highly Western/American Culture-ish, but I'll work with it. (Does anyone know if Rob Bell will ever publish a kid's bible curriculum????? Alicia?????)

I've also arranged our schedule to more closely reflect what's really happening each day. I'm saving after lunch time for World/American History and geography and our science studies. What You're 2nd Grader Needs to Know from the Core Knowledge series is our spine for these subjects, each one given it's own day. We'll also use this time for art and music appreciation (see below for links to our curriculum choices in these areas.)

So here's our revised curriculum and daily schedule (as my readers wait with bated breath):

8:00 Breakfast, Bible and *Memorywork with Sam
8:45 Copywork--quotes, scripture from bible lesson, poetry and grammar from FLL
9:00 Spanish--Speedy Spanish, Learnables, Powerglide, (cds, dvds, activity books...we're going for immersion here, and I'm learning too!)
9:30 Math--Horizons Grade 2
10:00 Break...usually a walk or bike ride with mom the teacher and Bogart the dog! We try to do a bit of nature observation during this time as well.
10:30 Piano practice--Pianimals Bk A
10:45 Phonics--MCP Plaid Phonics Bk B (see link above)
11:00 Language--First Language Lessons (see link above)
11:15 Reading--Beginner's Bible, Nature Reader, Silly Things Happen (see link above)
11:45 Lunch (my favorite part of the day!)
12:30 Rotating Subjects:
Monday-World History (What Your 2nd Grader...) and Geography (Evan Moor Beginning Geography set)
Tuesday-Science (What Your 2nd Grader....)
Wednesday-Artistic Pursuits K-3 (art practice and appreciation)
Thursday-American History (What Your 2nd Grader....)
Friday-Classical Magic (music appreciation)

During dead time in the car waiting to pick up kids: Classical Kids, spanish cds and activity books from the library, and books-on-tape (currently listening to Peter Pan unabridged!) or read aloud (also reading Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin).

Evenings are Family Read Aloud time. This year we're focusing on 1st grade Literature recomendations, again from What Your Second Grader Needs to Know. (see link above). We'll be reading Grimm's Fairy Tales, Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales, Andrew Lang's Fairy Books (The Red Fairy Book, orange, green, etc), James Baldwin's 50 Famous Stories Retold.

We'll also have a chapter book going for this time as the above stories are brief. I'm using rec's from Books to Build On for the most part. And of course, we won't forget to revisit favorite classic and picture books, poetry, and Hardy Boys with dad!

*Memorywork includes: quotes, poetry, scripture, spanish vocabulary, artists, grammar terms, and math facts. It takes all of 10 minutes, and I use this for organizing all this memory work and review each day. 'Tis fabulous. Highly recommended.

It seems like a ton when I write it out like this, but it's really not. We focus on getting 'readin' ritin' and 'rithmetic done everyday...if that's all that happens, I'm good with saying "We've done the minimum." When we get bible, memorywork and piano in, I'm feeling pretty darn good. And if the after-lunch subjects get finished then, dude, I'm totally, like, flyin'.

Hope you've enjoyed this little foray into my homeschool. I'll take some pics soon of our study area...still working on getting it set up the way I want. And it might be good if I can find the camera.

Back to lesson planning!

Moments: Lots of 'em....and lemonade to boot.

2007-08-25T09:07:00.000-05:00

Well, I've managed to get thru our first week of school. The stress over dropping kids off and picking kids up has taken it's toll, though, and I'm wondering if the 6 hours of peace is worth it. I'm constantly watching the clock, and worrying over whether I'll get to S's school before he's in tears again. I've become an angry, agressive driver in the span of 5 days....I can't do that many adrenaline rushes each day without losing my mind (which was already on its way toward mush before school started).

Pretty much at 2:15 my day is over. That's when I start making the rounds to the schools. B and I are done with school and lunch by 12:30-ish, so that leaves an hour and a half for errands and such. After picking everyone up, I'm home just in time to get supper ready, then hubby is home. The days fly by, that's for sure.

On the homeschool front, so far the only dud we've had is phonics/spelling. We're using Horizons, but I don't like all the writing and busywork, and the reader is BORING, with outdated sentence structure and topics. I will give it another week, then decide if it's time to try something else.

All the girls and S are adjusting to their new learning environments as well. Other than the suffocating humidity and buildings with no air conditioning, the younger two are enjoying school. G decided to go out for the 8th grade cheering squad, which makes me just a *wee* bit nervous, and S is meeting new friends and getting invited over for play dates already....which also makes me just a *wee* bit nervous.

Ya know, having lots 'o kids is stressful regardless of the kind of schooling they receive. With homeschooling, a parent can certainly control the environment easier, but then an environment of lots 'o kids all day everyday is stressful. With away schooling, the parent buys a bit of respite from the chaos, but it doesn't go away forever...it simply compounds over the day so that it hits all at once between mid-afternoon and bedtime.

Still trying to recite my mantra...still having difficulty.

Having kids is hard. stressful. work. But I'm challenging myself to see the silver linings moment by moment. I'm going to learn, even if it kills me, to savor the time I'm given whether it's spent waiting in a line of cars at school, sounding out words with a young reader, shopping for the plumpest green pepper at the grocery. These are all divine acts, moments infused with possibilities to make the world a better place. At least that's what I'm telling myself.

And I'm learning how to make a darn good batch of lemonade every day.

Misadventures: "Your son has already been picked up"

2007-08-21T14:42:00.001-05:00

COME AGAIN?????

Yes, indeedy, let's talk about the efficiency of (or, um, lack there of)the public school's transportation policies.

Imagine with me for a moment, your six year old son on his first day of school herded out into the hallway, having been designated a 'car rider', told to sit quietly with a bajillion other elementary kids to wait til their number is called...which means their parent with the matching number has safely navigated the snaking, crawling line of vehicles filled with other parents and had made it to the front of the pick-up line.

OK, now, imagine me sitting in that snaking, crawling line 2 BLOCKS from the actual school building (in the pouring rain don't forget) when I suddenly realize my engine is smoking. Puffy little clouds of grey-black smoke are gently wafting up thru the hood vents, and filling the air with the familiar smell of burning oil.

Yes, you guessed it. I said a bad word. Or three. I figured at this point my poor car has gone into denial about this whole sitting-for-over-an-hour 2 times a day waiting for children to either disembark or get in and buckle up. I sympathize because I'd just been envisioning a never ending stretch of bleak landscapes generally filled with Indiana license plates and tacky bumper stickers, with the occasional 'thump thump thump' reverberating from an older sibling's hotrod (who has, God forbid, been asked to retrieve a younger counterpart.)

Well, I manuevered out of the line of cars and idled my way to a driveway across the road from the school's entrance....thankfully one of my dd's friends lives there, and her family is gone all day at work or school. Which doesn't stop me from banging incessantly on her front door anyway because, horror of horrors, my cell phone is dead. (I'm desparately trying to remember my mantra, the little ditty I shared yesterday about how this is the right choice for our family for this season. Didn't work.) So......

I run over to school admidst soaking wet children, school buses, anxious parents,and exhausted staff and make my way to the office to inform them that my car is in the process of a slow death, my cell is dead, and my son is at the other end of the hallway waiting for his beloved mother to save him from this institution. "No problem" I'm told. "Just hold on and we'll radio one of the teachers to send him down here." Whilst waiting for sight of my precious boy, I'm catching my breath and playing scenarios in my mind of how we're going to get home if I can't get the car to start or drive or whatever. After 10 full minutes, some staff woman realizes my child has still not appeared and offers to go down and get him herself. I'm waking up to the realization that perhaps something's rotten in the State of Denmark, but dismiss the thought quickly, blaming my over-active imagination on the current car crisis.

Another FULL 10 MINUTES ticks by, and frankly, I'm not a happy camper anymore. Just then I see previous staff woman coming back down the hall sans my son with a telling expression...one of "oh God this parent is going to be pissed" mixed with an obvious attempt to look non-chalant and in control. My heart goes to my throat, then to my shoes, then out my ears. I feel the surging waves of adrenaline, panic, and mother bear instinct arising in my innards...the caged animal who refuses to be silent any longer.

"Your son has already been picked up."

OH NO HE HASN'T. I say this firmly, threateningly, and not without a little accusation in my tone. She replies just as condescendingly "We only let the child go with a person who's number matches that on his bookbag". Realizing I don't have the luxury of time to throw a tantrum, I immediately give way to panic and begin blabbing 100 miles a minute that no one else even knows his number....that I hadn't even given my husband the retarded neon orange laminated number card for his car's visor....that someone else has my child and we don't know anyone else at this school....and-and-and-and-and OH GOD!!!!

Those just inside the office are now aware something might not be going as well as it should, and I'm sorta gently man-handled to the back office and told to try calling my husband and they'd look up the numbers for my other listed emergency contacts. This is all a blur for me....I remember hearing over and over in my head that my baby had already been picked up, my baby had already been picked up, my baby had already been picked up....being angry that I couldn't remember my husband's phone number....that this was a ploy to get me out of the public's eye and give them time to cover their own assinine mistake, because I already knew my dh had most certainly NOT picked up S from school....

Shaking fingers, hushed conversations next door, a hand on my back, my son's name being called over the radios....one ring, (this is SOOO STUPID! This cannot be HAPPENING!!!) two rings, (Oh S, where could you be?! I'm TERRIFIED!!) three rings (I'm going to faint, who has taken you???).....

And then in the blink of an eye, life grinds to a halt, wheels smoking, and I heard someone yell "Sandy! Where has he been? We have a mother freaking out back here!" And I threw the phone receiver down, knocked over the body guard staff woman, and jumped over the desk chair. MY BABY! He was looking at all of us with a confused look, holding his teacher's hand. Everything in the periphery of my vision went fuzzy and the heavens opened over my beautiful son's little chubby cheeks. Never has his brown eyes looked more delicious...

My lovely companion thru this ordeal had been told that S had been called out to the loading area and had been picked up. What had actually happened is this: when his name was called, the teacher in charge didn't hear the "send him down to the office" part and just sent him outside with the next group of riders. When his group had all been picked up, another teacher saw him standing alone outside wondering where his mommy was (can you imagine his confusion and fear????). They brought him inside and down to the office, which is standard procedure when the parent evidently doesn't show up.

And now you're up to speed.

But I wasn't up to speed yet. I was standing on legs of rubber, eyes blurred with tears, and a heart that was having trouble expressing anything coherently to the (obviously relieved) staff. I vaguely remember them throwing offers at me like "use our phone if your car is broke down" and "please don't walk home in the rain" and other stuff...to which I graciously declined and thanked them while in my head I was saying "too little too late, you assholes". I realize it was an honest mistake made on the first day of school, when the pouring rains brought even the walkers' parents out to pick them up. Mass confusion and frustration for everyone. I realize this logically, and of course forgive them for the oversight. But, damn, don't ever let it happen to MY KID again, get it?

Well the van did start and I idled it home, came in the house to chattering teenagers exploding with the familiar drama of The First Day Of School. I was finally able to breathe a "thank you" to the Powers that Be for the way the day turned out, for helping me relish the 6 hours of peace that allowed me to deposit what ever that earthy, magical, divine stuff is that gets a mother thru life and death episodes of panic over her offspring. I actually giggled as I suddenly recalled S's words to me as our car pulled (er, limped) away from the school: "Hey Mom, the sauce we had with our enchiladas was really yummy".

Ah yes, I remember: his first day of school...."so what did you learn today?"

"Lots of stuff, but I don't remember any of it." (said thru the suck-suck-sucking of his fingers in the car seat behind me...it'd been a long day and he needed his fix(Remind me of the mantra again?)

PS. The only residual blip today was my teary eyed 6 year old coming out to the van after school, shyly smiling in relief that his mommy truly didn't forget him today....it just took soooo long for them to call his number, and my car was behind bigger cars toward the end of the loading area and so invisible to him as he walked in faith toward something, anything, that looked familiar. He said he was "just a little bit worried" I wasn't going to come. I told him he was my courageous boy, that I was very proud of him, and that I would NEVER NEVER NEVER leave him at school.

"I know Mommy." God love him!

Moments: It begins.

2007-08-20T12:28:00.000-05:00

Day one: Find our heroine dragging herself out of bed at 6:45-ish, greeted by the most torrential rain yet encountered this season, to be sure all offspring are up and breathing. She finds 3 teenage girls in various activities all having to do with hair, make up and clothing. Check.

Next our trusty mama goes to rouse the little guys...who immediately rebel against getting out of bed 'so early', though they've been getting up a good 30 minutes before now every day thru the past summer months. Not to be deterred, mama hands each boy his clothing for the day and treks downstairs to gather up the various and sundry required items each child must bring into their appropriate institution....lunch money checks, immunization copies, threatening letters to teachers (scratch that), 2 bottles of hand sanitizer, paint shirt. Check.

Back upstairs, vaguely aware of spouse shaving and preparing for his day, mama throws on some clothes (piled conveniently though haphazardly on the bedroom floor), sighs at the image in the mirror before her with greasy hair and eye boogers, and begins loading up kidlets for the inevitable journey into the world at large. Check.

At this juncture, our protagonist has been trying to stuff emotions that have been lurking beneath the surface for the last few weeks, emotions that regurgitate as fear, doubt, regret......but she squares her shoulders, dumps 8th grade dd at the door to what might possibly be a chamber of horrors and progresses steadfastly to the next stop, picking up a friend's daughter who is entering her freshman year at a new school in a new district. Wait for 20 minutes in a line of cars full of other worried, haggard parents, dropping their cargo as close to the door as possible, as it seems the deluge of water pouring from the sky has no intention of closing up shop. Back home again, mother dear pours sugar-coated cereal for the cranky boys and prepares the youngest of the crew for his first day of Kindergarten. This entails digging out 3 months of summer dirt from beneath untrimmed finger nails. Check.

Back in the transportation vehicle once again, our mother makes a last minute decision to let Rover join in the fun, and then makes her way to the local elementary school. Youngest boy hops out with a quick wave of his hand and tears off thru the rain for the door, hotwheels backpack almost completely eclipsing his perfect 6-year-old form. My last baby leaves the nest.
Check (sob).

Immediately, the car is silent. 8 year old son behind her and Rover drooling next to her both turn to look at mama. The air is heavy with expectation, loaded with possibilities both good and bad. Mother feels this is the moment she's been dreading for weeks, living in fear and trepidation of for the last month....that moment when the van door slams closed and quiet takes over.

And what does our heroine do? She smiles. She sighs. She savors the moment of peace. She begins to anticipate a day with her one boy still schooling at home. She pets her dog. She breathes. And it's good. There is a brief moment when the delicious moment is threatened by the unwelcome, but predictable character, GUILT. She contemplates giving way, but stands firm, repeating her mantra internally "this is the best choice for my family for this season".

Back home, with a cup of jasmine tea, she begins her school day with her son....and the joy of the work takes her by surprise. The familiar feelings of being overwhelmed by what must be accomplished are absent, replaced by peaceful interaction with her son. When the time comes to begin the whirlwind hour of retrieving her offspring, a wistful sigh escapes her spirit, not anxious for the chaos that will surely take over. Yet she has the energy, amazingly enough, to face it today. That's what silence can do for you. That's what peace affords you. That's what facing the unknown with courage (and fear) will bring you. That's what letting go is all about, and it's a beautiful, beautiful thing.

Misadventures: The Borg have come a'callin...

2007-08-17T11:15:00.001-05:00

AS the hours wind down toward the beginning of the new school year, I'm finally able to catch my breath. It's been a whirlwind of shopping for supplies, clothes, doctor/dentist/hair appointments, cheer practices, registration papers, meetings....the public school univers has got to be one of the biggest reasons prozac was put on the market. A mother could drown in the relentless waves of needs and deadlines and expectations (are you *sure* you don't want to chair the Reflections program for the PTA? )

Amidst all this upheaval, I am finding a bit of time for quiet reflection in the evenings before bed. As I try to process what this next school year will require of me, nagging doubts flit their way into the wispy recesses of my tired mommy brain. Unwanted questions such as "who will G sit with at lunch?" begin to loom larger and larger. My fears don't seem to want to obey my commands to SCRAM! Don't they know I'm overwhelmed already? Um, no.

I spewed a bit on one of my soaping buddy forums about my biggest fear. I'll just c&P it:

It kinda feels like an invasion...we've invested so much energy trying to provide a safe atmosphere where my kids can be themselves, discover who they are apart from the petty social cliques and negative influences of other kids, get a real 'liberal arts' education, and all that. The public school system just goes against so much of what I believe best produces well-adjusted, thoughtful, compassionate adults. We've always been involved with the community, and I tried hard not to be the type of homeschooling family that circles their wagons to shut out the big, scary world. But I have strived to show my kids what real life is about, how important each one of them is to the larger scheme of things, to persue the things that bring them joy because in doing so, they bring joy to others, and to pay attention to what makes them angry so they can be aware of injustice and work toward creative ways of making things better....

....One of my daughters has turned her back on so much of what we've taught her was important. Her daily ritual consists of her cell phone, her myspace, and her 'boos' (her two best friends and her boyfriend). She's become a queen bee, and she thinks she's all that and more. Her attitude has completely taken on the peers around her. Clothes, activities, thought processes, etc are all part of the group-think. It' s like the Adolescent Borg....resistence is futile, you will be assimilated. It's amazing how cult-like the 'in crowd' can be. I was always on the outer fringes of that exclusive group in school, so this is all new territory for me.

One of the biggest eye-opening lessons we're learning is how EXTREMELY important a diverse group of acquaintences are in a person's life. How can one grow and change without challenges to their personal status quo? The issue with teenagers is that they are so desparate to be acceptable to their peers. They find a few people like themselves (or in my daughter's case the 'in crowd/cheerleader/snob/ditz group') and every particle of their being is judged good or bad based on what the majority of the 'crowd' approves. It's sick, sick, sick. I see it played out with adults too.....my SUV is bigger and shinier than your SUV.....my kids clothes are purchased at the GAP.....my house is in THIS suburb.....we go to THIS vacation spot.....my kids go to THIS school......blah, blah, blah.

The only time peer influence is truly dangerous is when those peers are the ONLY people in a person's life. Our problem is that dd recognizes how out of balance she is, but is reluctant to reach out to new friends. Even outside of school, where she would avoid the tenacious and ferocious scrutiny of her gang, she is hesitant to make any effort to 'start over' as she puts it. Her immaturity slip is showing....but really, isn't making new friends always awkward and weird at first? I can't blame her. But I will still encourage her to enlarge her sphere of acquaintences.

And I think we'll rent the episodes of Star Trek where they encounter the Borg.....think she'll get it?

Naw, I don't think so either.

Moments: A new year, a new rollercoaster ride.

2007-08-09T12:15:00.000-05:00

This school year will be quite a bit different than every year that's preceeded it. Let me 'splain.

If one should come a'knocking on my door during the hours of 8-4, there will be only 2 present in the school room. Just my second grader and myself. Everyone else will be at away-school. Over the last year of home schooling, I've found that though the desire to school the kids here with me is still strong...and I believe more than ever that it can be the most excellent way to raise healthy, well-adjusted adults....where the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. My hope is that during this year, as I only need to focus on one child's education, I will get a bit of a sabbatical from the last 10 years of having a houseful of kids 24/7. Perhaps this will enable me to find the inner strength to bring the youngest kids home with me again in the future.

Our family's foray into the public school system has been a mixed bag. This summer I find I'm having very large regrets as I look back on the older 2 girls' experiences in high school thus far. My two greatest fears have been 1) that they wouldn't fit in and would feel the rejection I felt as a highschooler, always the wanna-be, and 2) that they would become part of the 'in crowd', a clique I never participated in, the queen-bees. Both of those fears have come into my reality, and there have been many days of 'scooching' through, trying to figure out (and failing so many times) how to parent teenagers who attend the public school.

Of course the knee-jerk reaction is to just bring everyone home again, keep them sheltered and protected, and bake cookies all day. Then that still, small voice says "Get Real". My girls don't want to come back home to school. Especially the queen-bee. So it looks like we will continue slogging thru the muck of cultural pressures, turbo-hormones, and just plain old life with teenagers.

In the mean time, I will give my all to tomato-staking my 2nd grader, a term I latched on to after reading another mom's experience with a son who needed a bit of extra attention.

I've revised our curriculum (see links to the left), and re-organized my life to accomodate 3 schools plus my homeschool. I face this year with not a little trepidation, as I know having kids in the public school system will drain every drop of emotional reserves I will be (hopefully) depositing in my 'bank account' during the 6 hours of relative quiet each day. But the choices have been made, registrations filled out, checks written (public educations is FAR from free) and uniforms and supplies purchased. At this point, I'm buckling my seat belt, white-knuckling the safety bar, and preparing for yet another thrill ride in the amusement park of parenting. Won't you join me?

Moments: New outlets for creativity...and insanity

2007-04-25T17:22:00.000-05:00

Weeeeelllll, I've been a busy bee with my in-home businesses of late. So not much blogging going on as I've been building websites and crafting product. I'm really excited about both endeavors and now shamelessly plug both here for your enjoyment.

Presenting: Simple Indulgence Bath and Body and Basic Instinct Baby Slings ...

Now I should of course mention that there are still tweaks to be made at both places...such as contact info on the Simple Indulgence site, kinda important *wink*, plus uploading the pics of 3 more soaps. But I'm feeling pretty settled about the second site.

I'll be hosting a table at an upcoming Birth Matters baby fair locally with my products, so if you're in town, stop by and say hi!

Me and my homies.

2007-04-21T12:16:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite places and some of my favorite people this side of paradise....

Thanks A, A and B for a stupendiously fun weekend! You are now official IKEA groupies :o)

Edited to add a link to the stunningly beautiful B's website so you may enjoy more pictures from our weekend. Be sure to look for Bob the Builder.....

Misadventures: My dog thinks he's a cat....or a police officer.

2007-03-23T09:35:00.000-05:00

During school time, the kids and I get the biggest kick out of our dog as he scouts out the backyard. I've heard dog's like to chase squirrels and other tiny four-footed creatures, but I think Bogart might be having an identity crisis....

Because we live in a wooded area, we have oodles of squirrels and birds and bunnies scampering thru our yard. Bogart stands at attention at the window, tense and shaking as these furry trespassers heedlessly scavenge for nuts. To put him out of his suffering, I let him out so he can release that tension and chase them up the trees or telephone poles. After the first rush, though, he takes on a cat-like posture.....hunkering down on his haunches, s-l-o-w-l-y stalking his prey. I grew up with cats, so the routine is familiar. But I'd not seen a DOG do this.

Recently, I heard him outside barking his warning/battle cry, and assuming he was simply terrorizing yet another squirrel/bird/bunny I ignored it. But the barking continued so I took a gander out the window to see if I could locate the offender. In the neighbor's yard was a small orange plastic bag....the kind newspapers are wrapped in....flitting it's way lazily over the grass, taking it's own sweet time. Evidently there is something intrinsically evil about orange plastic bags because Bogart was absolutely tortured by it. He growled and drooled and barked and yelped and whined, jumping up over and over again up on the chain link fence, willing his hind legs to propel him over the metal barrier. He meant business....ain't no weird orange thing gonna have a chance to abuse *his* pack. Uh-uh.

When I finally got him in the house because I was afeared my neighbors would call the police due to the noise my pup was putting out, he was quivering and panting so hard, it took several doggie treats to pacify him. Dogs are dumb. No offense meant here, but really, for the last months since rescuing him from the shelter, he daily goes out and barks at all manner of moving things....and he never gets them, never scares them from coming back, in fact they tease him.....but does he give up???? NOOOOoooooooo. I guess dumb isn't the right word. Just.... persistent and optimistic. Who knows? Maybe today will be the day when another sheepish orange wrapper will find it's way into our yard and Bogart will finally get his chance to give it what for.

Oh the satisfaction!

Misadventures: The Jesus of my youth.

2007-03-18T11:11:00.000-05:00

Take a gander at our other blog, but don't watch with soda or coffee in your mouth.

Musings: A little cheezwiz to warm your heart....

2007-02-21T08:38:00.000-05:00

Ruth went to her mail box and there was only one letter. She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again.

There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. She read the letter:

Dear Ruth:
I`m going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit.

Love Always, Jesus

Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. "Why would the Lord want to visit me? I'm nobody special. I don't have anything to offer." With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets. "Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner." She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and forty cents. Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least." She threw on her coat and hurried out the door.

A loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk...leaving Ruth with grand total twelve cents to last her until Monday. Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.

"Hey lady, can you help us,lady?" Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags. "Look lady, I ain't got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us. Lady, we'd really appreciate it." Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to.

"Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him."

"Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway." The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley. As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart.

"Sir, wait!"

The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. "Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest." She handed the man her grocery bag.

"Thank you lady. Thank you very much!"
"Yes, thank you!" It was the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering. "You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you take this one." Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street...without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest.

"Thank you lady! Thank you very much!"

Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything to offer Him. She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox. "That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day."

Dear Ruth:
It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat.
Love Always,
Jesus

The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.

(This was sent to me via email....)

Moments: RECIPES for my girls in the 'hood...

2007-01-30T14:50:00.000-05:00

K, prepare yourself for some really amazing homemade crap. I'll start with my faves and the most requested ones.

SHAMPOO BASE:
1/4 cup water (I use filtered)
1/4 cup liquid castille (I used Dr. Bronner's Baby-Mild)
1/2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil (I used organic)

This makes 1/2 cup of base that can be used as a shower gel base as well. Here's the variation I tried:
Avacado-Jasmine
1/2 cup shampoo base
1/2 cup aloe vera gel (Not the 'gel' that comes in a tube, the kind that is thick but pour-able)
3/4 tsp avacado oil (I substituded olive oil)
3/4 tsp jasmine essential oil (I substituted lemon)

Mix this up and keep it in an old shampoo bottle and shake before each use.

Another variation to try is:
1/2 cup shampoo base
2 T. glycerine
1/2 cup water
1/2 c. fresh lavendar
5 drops lavendar essential oil

For Oily hair:
use only 1/4 cup shampoo base
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp aloe vera gel (again, the pour-able kind)
This needs to be kept refridgerated and used within one week.

HAIR RINSE:
After I used the above shampoo a few times, my hair got 'heavy', so I tried a rinse of apple cider vinegar and water. I put in maybe 1/3 cup of the vinegar in a ketchup/mustard squirt bottle (I got the set for like .73 cents at Walmart, and they work great because I can use the pointy tip to get real close to my scalp) and filled the rest with water. After shampooing, I bent forward and squirted it near my scalp, sorta rubbed it around and rinsed. Viola! Clean hair. My comb went right thru, and again, I didn't need any styling products. Oh, and the vinegar smell doesn't stick with your hair. For those who like exact measurments: use 2-4 TBLS of either apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice per cup of water. (The lemon juice mixture will need to be refridgerated).

I also tried using a teaspoon or so of baking soda mixed with a bit of water to make a paste and massaged that into my scalp, but it didn't work as well as the vinegar rinse.....though it made a fabulous facial scrub!

BATH SOAP
This is really called 'rebatching' as you won't be making soap from scratch (with lard and lye).
2 bars Kirk's Coco Hardwater Castille ($1.50 at my health food co-op)
1/3 c. boiling water
1/4 cup almond or olive oil (+some for greasing molds)
Herbs and essential oils (+ .5-5% oz volume of grapfruit seed extract for preservative)

You'll need:
a box grater (I used the grater on my food processor)
double boiler pot with lid (or use medium pot with 2-3inches water and a glass heat-resistent bowl on top)
wooden spoon
large bowl
molds (can use mini muffin or loaf pans, tuna cans, bottom of milk or 2 litre containers...I used regular muffin tins and got four big soaps.)

STEPS:
~Grate soap into bowl
~Heat over medium heat and cover with loose-fitting lid
~when water boils in bottom pot, add the 1/3 c boiling water to soap all at once. Mix slightly, then add oil
~Continue mixing til water is incorporated...should look like mashed potatoes. Turn off heat.
~Place soap mixture in large bowl and add herbs and oils. Mix thoroughly.
~grease molds and hands (I used Olive Oil Pam spray). Let mixture cool slightly then use hands to scoop soap and press into molds. Smooth top.
~store in cool, airy place (I used my basement). Takes 24 hours to 1 week to harden. When your finger leaves no indent, it's ready. Cut around to release or put in freezer for a time. Slice if using a loaf pan. Wrap in wax paper.

I added 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3 TBLS ground almonds (skin on) and 3 tsp cinnamon oil to my mixture before pressing into molds.

I've since found tons of sites that troubleshoot 'rebatching' as well as offering lots of yummy recipes. Here's some that sound darn good to me:
Coffee and Cream
1 tsp ground espresso
1 tsp powdered milk
10 drops coffee fragrance oil

Lemon Loofah
1 tsp powdered loofah
15 drops lemon oil
1 drop yellow coloring

Raspberry Oatmeal
1/3 c dry oats
15 drops raspberry fragrance oil
1 drop red coloring

Vanilla almond
2/3 c. whole almonds, ground
2 TBLS almond oil
1/4 tsp vanilla fragrance oil

Christmas Soap
ground cinnamon
mint essential oil
lemon/orange rind

Peaches and Cream
1/2 cup powdered milk
2 TBLS almond oil
1/2 tsp peach fragrance oil
2 drops orange food coloring

NOTE: I've read some places that recommend not using food coloring. I've also read not to use extracts for fragrance. Today I found some info about making rebatched soap in a crockpot, so when I try that, I'll post that method as well.

Places to get crafty with soap (and everything else under the sun)
Craftster
Soap Delicatessen
Homemade Bath and Body Recipes
Soapnuts
Craftbits
Teach Soap
Crafter's Touch
Homemaker's Cottage

SHOWER GEL
(must confess, this is technically a recipe for hand gel soap, but I plan to use it as a shower gel as well)
2 cups soap flakes (or grated castille bar)
1/2 gallon water (use more if gel is too thick)
2 TBLS glycerine
essential oils of choice

Mix all in double boiler, then transfer to jar/pump.
(I made this with lemon essential oil for hand soap. At first it didn't gel, but now it's nice and thick. I think I'll add lavendar or some other flowery scent to make it shower gel.)

Here is a recipe for liquid dish soap with a different configuration of the same ingredients above that might also make a good shower gel:
1/4 c. soap flakes
2 cups hot water
1/4 c. glycerin
1/2 tsp. lemon or other essential oil

Mix flakes and water till dissolved. Cool til lukewarm. Stur in glycerin and essential oil and leave to cool. When it forms loose gel, stir with fork then funnel into pump. (Haven't tried this one yet.)

As far as toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant.....2 words. BAKING SODA.
I just dip my wet brush in a bit of BS and brush.
I add a tsp or so of BS to a glass of water and swish and gargle
I smear some BS under my pits after showering.

I will attempt these recipes for a 'dusting' or 'roll-on' deodorant soon:
1/4 c baking soda
1/4 cup talc-free powder
1/16 cup cornstarch
Use a large makeup brush to apply to pits

OR
mix equal parts BS and cornstarch. Add water to make a pourable mix to put into a mold. After dry, moisten and apply.

Tomorrow I'll post cleaning crap. Dishwasher detergent (powder and gel), laundry detergent (powder and gel), fabric softner, disinfectant spray, scouring powder, etc. BTW, I'm storing dry goods in glass mason jars of all sizes. I got squirt bottles from the Dollar Tree. And we're reusing old plastic shampoo/hair sprair pumps as well.

Fun Fun! If you try any of these, let me know how they turn out!

Misadventures: Experiments in frugality

2007-01-16T14:42:00.000-05:00

Hmmmm....now what might this eclectic grouping be doing in my kitchen? Well, let me 'splain.

In my pursuit of simplicity, frugality, and health, I spent a day gathering all manner of 'recipes' from the internet for homemade cleaners and toiletries. I'll start right off telling you that baking soda and vinegar are the king of natural cleaners. Olive oil and pure castille soap rank big in toiletries (with baking soda yet again making a strong finish).

Here's a brief listing of products I've made and am currently testing, none of which includes any of those 'unpronounceables':
shampoo
conditioner
soap
shower gel
hair gel
hair spray
deodorant
liquid hand soap
bubble bath
bath salts
body powder
foot soak
toothpaste
lip balm
facial scrub
facial mask
body scrub
mouthwash

Cleaners include:
laundry detergent
laundry softner
dishwasher detergent
dishwasher rinse aid
scouring powder
liquid dish soap
carpet cleaner
antibacterial all purpose cleaner
window/mirrow cleaner
tub/tile cleaner
toilet cleaner

So far the only 'bombs' have been the liquid hand gel and the dish soap. They work fine, but they didn't 'gel'. I'll give them another try next month. My favorite has been the shampoo, which is so fabulous that I didn't need conditioner, styling products or hair spray after using it! Plus my scalp doesn't itch and flake anymore. The soap is also a keeper...can't wait to try new scents and textures. The toothpaste is just plain nasty-tasting, but works wonderfully.

All told, so far I've spent about $100 for the supplies to make all this, and the priciest items were the essential oils. (Lavendar and tea tree are must-haves, but I also got cinnamon and lemon). I think in the long run, it will save us tons of money, be safe for the environment, and give me the satisfaction of being 'crafty'. As I get more experience with making and using these things, I'll be glad to post recipes, all of which can be found different places on the 'net so will be thoroughly plagarized. :o)

I feel like Ma Ingalls.....sans the cheerful disposition.

Moments: You know how to whistle don't ya......

2007-01-15T18:20:00.000-05:00

....you just put your lips together.....and blow. Ms. Lauren Bacall, er, I mean G. enjoyed her first formal dance Saturday night. Isn't she just D-I-V-I-N-E?

Here's Miss G with the girls from the 'hood:

Musings: New Year's Resolutions

2006-12-30T08:50:00.000-05:00

Here is a list of books I either have on hold at the library, have in my cart on Amazon, or in yet another cart at Alternatives for Simply Living:
~Meal by Meal: Balance thru Mindful Eating
~Living the Good Life on God's Good Earth
~Simpler Living, Compassionate Life
~Food and Faith: Justice, Joy and Daily Bread
~How Much is Enough? Hungering for God in an Affluent Culture
~Irresitable Revolution: Living as An Ordinary Radical
~Food for Life: Spirituality and Ethics of Eating
~31 Words to Create and Organized Life
~Living More with Less
~Radical Simplicity: Small Footprints on a Finite Earth
~Simplicity Lessons
~Voluntary Simplicity
~Simple Living Investments
~Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger: Moving from Affluence to Generosity
~Your Money or Your Life
~Simply in Season
~Tis a Gift to be Simple

Ok, so raise your hand if you see a common thread or two in the above titles?

I'm seriously wanting to curb my consumerism of things....but also with the food I consume. During the next month, hubby and I (and the kids) are going to once again take stock of all our habits. We do this every now and again, but this time the impetus behind it is our newly discovered passion for those in poverty. How can I shop responsibly? How do I eat responsibly? How do I only take my fair share without taking away from others?

Case in point: Yeterday, I dropped one of my girls and her cousin off at the local mall to spend Christmas and babysitting money....After 3 hours, I picked up two giddy (and exhausted) teenagers, completely intoxicated with their many purchases....purses, beads, undies, jeans, etc etc etc.....Totally normal, totally understandable, totally reminiscent of my own teenage years as well as throughout my adulthood. So why did I feel like crying?

Ingnorance is bliss. It really, truly is. Turning away from certain realities of our world is extremely easy in our frenetic culture, one in which our time is spent rushing from thing to thing, accumulating stuff, eating on the run, only to sit down in front of the tv to be bewitched by commercials and shows that repeat the mantra "get more, be more, you're not good enough, be like me, happiness is found here." Our family doesn't even watch tv, and we homeschool thru 8th grade. We drive older cars, live in the city, buy many things on sale or at Goodwill, accept hand-me-downs graciously and gratefully. We go against the culture in many ways. Yet my teenagers have bought the 'get what you can, can what you get, sit on the can' mentality of the world that immediately surrounds them. What is the ancedote for such behavior?

I realize that often the choices I made regarding, say, tv and schooling were done because it was easier to disengage and ignore than to work thru our nature towards greed, selfishness and the like. Now that my kids are mingling and integrating with their culture thru school, movies, and friendships......the pull to conform is all-consuming. I feel discouraged, disappointed, sometimes helpless (if not all-out guilty) trying to swim upstream and pulling the teenagers along for the difficult ride.

But avoiding that difficult journey is no longer an option for me. I know too much. I read and see and hear too many things that will not allow me to turn away in ignorance and apathy. I want to learn a new pattern of thankfulness, of generosity, of humility. To live, as my hubby says, an examined life. I want to take responsibility for the consumption and greed I've participated in, and to re-think creatively about how I can better share the blessings I've been given. I told hubby this morning, I can't even enjoy what I have because it's buried under all the stuff I thought I had to have. I don't want to live a guilt trip....I just want to live with the blessings I've been alloted with a heart of thankfulness and a willingness to share. How much is 'enough'? That is the question I am repeatedly asking myself. How can I model for my teenagers a life that understands and embraces 'enough'? How can I encourage them to live simply, sacrificially, and in contentment? Our culture's idea of 'enough' is non-existent.

I wonder if that means moving out to the country into a little farmhouse with no cell phones, computers, tvs, shopping malls around the corner....or does that mean staying put where we are and learning to stop acquiring 'stuff' at the expense of the poverty-stricken in the world. The first suggestion sounds easier. But, as with most things in life, moderation is where we are forced to grow up. Where we must wrestle with non-conformity, out in the open, without withdrawing from the culture to a point where we have no impact. Living in a comfortable home, enjoying a movie and fast food now and then, shopping consciously, being watchful for opportunities to bless my 'neighbor' wherever I may happen to run into them....that is a life of simplicity and a life of enough. It must be a pattern of life that always finds itself balancing precariously between excess and deprivation. It doesn't allow for much laziness, though, and calls for being 'present' most times, in most choices. But I'm convinced this is where true joy and contentment are found.

So, as usual, I've picked out my research and plan to dive in, assured that drowning myself into the abyss of words, words, words will 'fix' me. What's that you say? Why not just do it instead of read about it? Why spend money I don't have to purchase books about consumption, simple living, and enough?

Is there an echo in here? Did you hear something?

Merry Christmas 2006!

2006-12-19T22:12:00.000-05:00

Misadventures: Christmas Season

2006-12-13T19:08:00.000-05:00

Well, howdy-do. Not much going on in the homeschool front these days as Christmas is upon us and there's always a million things to do. Even though I told myself this year would NOT become the harried season full of over-activity and over-spending, it has indeed become that once again. All my good intentions to sit cozily on the couch each evening and read favorite Christmas stories with the kids sipping homemade cocoa and nibbling freshly baked cookies have been trampled under shopping lists, receipts, phone calls, school activities, etc.

There's so much to love about Christmas, yet this year I've been overly sensitive to the spending frenzy I see around me...and how easily I give into it. It really gets me down. I'm sad that the things left to do such as christmas cards and holiday baking are simply 'have to's' that I look forward to simply checking off my daily list of obligations. Buying gifts this year has been no fun as we are spending money we don't have due to overspending thru the past 11 months. I desparately wanted to help the needy this season, and we have where we could, but not in the ways I wish.

I did manage to make a homemade advent calendar this year (we're 5 days behind as I type), and I enjoyed decorating the house with homemade touches here and there....but even Johnny Mathis crooning 'Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...' can't seem to pull me out of my funk.

It's so hard to create the magic that descended without effort growing up. It's hard to see the suffering in the world, the idiocy of some people, the frantic pace of life....and hunker down to focus and meditate on the tiny Prince of Peace who came to dwell amoung us. What a beautiful story. And to appreciate the harmony of nature as it gets itself ready for it's winter solstace...the quiet nights, the falling temperatures, the promise of downy snow and crystal icycles.

I long for simplicity especially this time of year. I see all the 'junk', and the piles of things I don't need or want cluttering up my life. My heart sighs deeply as I think of Ma Ingall's little cabin or Tiny Tim's shabby bungalow or a small cave in the Middle East that sheltered a new life, a teenage girl and a bewildered man.

>It's the time of year to reevaluate what's important...and when your life doesn't match what you value, then mental stress, physical exhaustion and discouragement follow. I'd like for once to stop this pattern in my life. For once to hear the bell ringing again and watch for reindeer in the sky. To glory in red and green life savers and tins of cookies stashed in the pantry. To sit under the lighted tree with the room darkened and Mr. Mathis singing on the record player. To hope for a white Christmas.....and to believe for peace on earth.

Moments: Erasing the lines. We can hope.

2006-12-05T16:17:00.000-05:00

Barak Obama gave a stunning speech at Rick Warren's Saddleback church on World Aids Day Dec. 1st. I encourage you to read the entire thing, but here's one of my favorite parts that I offer in hopes of whetting your appetite. :o) By the way, he received a standing ovation...

"Like no other illness, AIDS tests our ability to put ourselves in someone else's shoes - to empathize with the plight of our fellow man. While most would agree that the AIDS orphan or the transfusion victim or the wronged wife contracted the disease through no fault of their own, it has too often been easy for some to point to the unfaithful husband or the promiscuous youth or the gay man and say "This is your fault. You have sinned."

I don't think that's a satisfactory response. My faith reminds me that we all are sinners.

My faith also tells me that - as Pastor Rick has said - it is not a sin to be sick. My Bible tells me that when God sent his only Son to Earth, it was to heal the sick and comfort the weary; to feed the hungry and clothe the naked; to befriend the outcast and redeem those who strayed from righteousness.

Living His example is the hardest kind of faith - but it is surely the most rewarding. It is a way of life that can not only light our way as people of faith, but guide us to a new and better politics as Americans.

For in the end, we must realize that the AIDS orphan in Africa presents us with the same challenge as the gang member in South Central, or the Katrina victim in New Orleans, or the uninsured mother in North Dakota.

We can turn away from these Americans, and blame their problems on themselves, and embrace a politics that's punitive and petty, divisive and small.

Or we can embrace another tradition of politics - a tradition that has stretched from the days of our founding to the glory of the civil rights movement, a tradition based on the simple idea that we have a stake in one another - and that what binds us together is greater than what drives us apart, and that if enough people believe in the truth of that proposition and act on it, then we might not solve every problem, but we can get something meaningful done for the people with whom we share this Earth."

Moments: Go Redskins!

2006-12-02T15:29:00.000-05:00

OK. Let me hear it. Awwwwwwwwwww! They're darling! (Why thank you *blush* I think so too.)

Moments: Today's the day...

2006-11-30T10:07:00.000-05:00

Because I'm becoming a more socially aware christian, and because I think Jesus cares for the suffering of all humanity, I am posting on both my blogs about World Aids Day (Dec 1).

For many years, I had the dispicable attitude that those with AIDS deserved it. That's right, throw tomatoes. I deserved it, and much more. I puposely shut my eyes to the reality of AIDS/HIV because I bought into the 'gays started it, they get what they deserve' mentality, hook-line-and-sinker. It was convenient to hold this opinion because then I didn't need to spend any time or resources educating myself about the millions and millions of men, women and children who suffer and die from this leprosy of our time.

At this point, I have stopped pointing fingers, stopped being stiffled in the overwhelming numbers that are quoted in the media and the web, and started doing the little I *can* do. I don't know anyone with HIV/AIDs, and so I still struggle with the reality of this ravaging disease....but I won't let that stop me from spreading the word best I can to GET EDUCATED, DONATE, and SUPPORT those trying to help reverse the devastation.

This web site also has tons of info. This site has many pictures of the real victims as well as information and ways to help. I also posted some links on our other blog.

Wear a red ribbon on your blog/website and on your shirt tomorrow. Share the love thru donations to your favorite organization. But *do* something. Please.

Moments: For Kim.

2006-11-22T20:49:00.000-05:00

Here's more pics of the new baby! See the wee bit of white on his chest and throat? And a long skinny nose....surely some other breeds are in the mix. :o) (and that's my homeschool mess.....er, room in the background.)

See how big he is? He seems to like the picture window that looks out to the back yard with it's squirrels and birds. He's learning 'Off' and 'uh-uh'. And lots of positive reinforcement (ie: treats!)

Here's G who had Bogart pretty much to herself today. He likes to flop down on the laminate for some reason. He especiallylikes a tummy rub before conking out for a power snooze.

Today we worked on walking on the leash NEXT to mama. He did very well with the aid of many treats. Bogart also showed us how nice he places 'fetch'....he's a big tease. *snicker* He hasn't once jumped up on the boys (who are about his size), and settled down extremely quick when we had three kiddos over tonight for babysitting. I'm so proud!

Moments: Meet Bogart.

2006-11-22T07:43:00.000-05:00

Our new member of the family is already making himself at home! He's sweet as he can be, and silky soft. He's spent his first few hours sniffing everything and everyone, seemingly approved, then lumped himself down on the carpet with the kids. :o)

He's already housebroken, obeys many commands, and *so far* hasn't chewed up anything (though we've been warned!) Bogart is a mutt, most likely a Golden Retreiver/Rottweiler mix, though he has some white on his chest and throat. He's so gentle and docile even though the shelter puts his age at approximately 10 months, making him technically still a 'puppy'. We're going to make his official birthday January 1st.

I think I'll go snuggle him some more. It's his favorite activity besides sniffing.

Musings: Stargirl

2006-11-21T10:56:00.000-05:00

I was loaned a copy of the book Stargirl a couple weeks ago. It's a teen novel. I was skeptical.
Now in my third reading, after zipping thru it myself, reading it aloud to hubby, and now to my girls, I am completely enamoured with it.

It is the story of a 10th grade girl attending high school for the first time after being homeschooled. It's a bit of a tall tale....the protagonist is definitely outside the realm of reality as one might expect from a book on human nature. But she represents so much of what I strive to infuse into my daughters' hearts. She is naive, she is friendly and kind to everyone. She is individual in her manners, her dress, her ideas. It is the story of how these things bear upon a school of typical teenagers....how it changes them, how they change her, the regret we all feel about those years in our own lives.

It is a profound study of a girl who represents the best humans can be when they live with their eyes outside themselves. Even though unrealistic, it paints a beautiful picture of childlikeness, with all it's vulnerability and joy.

So here's my plug! It's a great little book to read aloud to teen girls or boys, leaving lots of room for discussion and introspection. My family has laughed out loud, cried, and sighed wistfully thru it. After you read it, here is a great selection of discussion questions you might want to share with your teen.

Moments: A first dance.

2006-11-17T17:13:00.000-05:00

Our first Semi-formal with K. Ain't she a peach? It's not a nice feeling knowing she's in the care of another teenage boy now and then....not a nice feeling at all.

But...seeing as I changed the diapers of the kid who escorted her, I suppose she's safe. They've grown up together.

When I was in high school, we didn't have 'semi-formals'. There was Junior-Senior Prom. Unless you were invited by an upperclassmen, you couldn't go as a frosh or sophomore. We had little dances after games and such, but they were a joke. Girls on one side, boys on the other, sweaty hands for everyone. No fancy dresses and suits.

Things have changed. Now we have Semi-formal (and don't let the name fool you. They wear gowns and corsages. Fancy updo's for the hair. Sparkling earrings and bangles. Nothing 'semi' about it at all.

With two in high school now, I'm realizing I need to have a separate budget for 'semi-formals'.

Ah, but ain't she a peach?

Moments: "When I was down beside the sea...."

2006-11-16T11:42:00.000-05:00

Last night, and almost every night, my boys ask for bedtime stories. I try to oblige them unless it's past their bedtimes or I'm tuckered out. I'm so pleased that when I ask them to bring me a book, either S or B will always bring me A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson. I stand there gaping, thinking to myself, "I've succeeded! They love poetry!"

S loves to see what's on the next page...."Read a new one tonight!" And then afterwards we go back to the beginning and flip thru, stopping to read those they love most. We've memorized many of these beautiful verses, and when we come to one of those, they triumphantly say it along with me. I hope these little gems will stay with them into their adult lives to be shared with my grandkids!

We read poetry every day, as well as working on our memory selection. They never balk, and it always surprises me. I've even taken to keeping a book of poetry (100 Best-Loved American Poems) in the car for those inevitable lulls between picking up kids. There is a beauty I never understood about poetry, or at least noticed. Growing up, if I didn't 'get' a poem, I was frustrated. Now I'm ok with the mystery of it, in the same way several people will see the same work of art and come to different conclusions about the artist's muse. My children have taught me this....they love to hear the rhythmic, soothing words. They certainly don't grasp some of the vocabulary, but they are devouring the meter, the lilt, the words themselves. For example, B has a particular favorite poem in our book. He always tells me afterward that he like it so much because of the way I say "apple tart" in the middle. He waits for it to roll off my tongue and grins through the remaining stanza. This would be poetry appreciation at its best, methinks.

Moments: Well now. I haven't lost it after all.

2006-11-14T08:57:00.000-05:00

Last week I had the opportunity to share some music with the kids who make weekly stops at the Lakeside Learning Garden. It'd been a VERY long time since I'd touched my guitar (M plays it most of the time). So I played till my fingers were numb! It was a blast, and it felt really good to slip back into my musician's hat that has sat crumpled in the back of my closet for too many years.

So here I am in all my glory, and all the gooseys dancing and singing with me. What better way to spend an afternoon than singing silly songs with unpretentious children? It was a balm for my soul, that much I can tell you.

Moments: It is time.

2006-11-10T13:57:00.000-05:00

I'm just completely jazzed for my Bead for Life Open House this weekend! (You can read my previous post about this here.) Anyone who reads this blog is welcome to buy a piece from me. I'll even pay your shipping. Items start at $5 for a bangle bracelet up to $30 for a 5 strand necklace. The jewelry store on their site shows the different items available. I can pick out color schemes from the pieces they sent me.

It feels really wonderful to be able to do something tangible at a grass-roots level to bring these women the dignity they deserve. The are precious women, so pleased to be working for a living that actually sustains life.

If you're in my area, please stop by. I'd love to sell every single piece!

Moments: This month's Memory Selection

2006-11-08T16:12:00.000-05:00

November

~ Alice Cary
The leaves are fading and falling,
The winds are rough and wild,
The birds have ceased their calling,
But let me tell you, my child,
Though day by day, as it closes,
Doth darker and colder grow,
The roots of the bright red roses
Will keep alive in the snow.
And when the Winter is over,
The boughs will get new leaves,
The quail come back to the clover,
And the swallow back to the eaves.
The robin will wear on his bosom
A vest that is bright and new,
And the loveliest way-side blossom
Will shine with the sun and dew.
The leaves to-day are whirling,
The brooks are dry and dumb,
But let me tell you, my darling,
The Spring will be sure to come.
There must be rough, cold weather,
And winds and rains so wild;
Not all good things together
Come to us here, my child.
So, when some dear joy loses
Its beauteous summer glow,
Think how the roots of the roses
Are kept alive in the snow.

Musings: What's a Hazelwood anyway?

2006-11-06T12:11:00.000-05:00

My property is surrounded by trees. Most of my neighborhood boasts beautiful old trees of every persuasion. Over the winter, my goal is for the kids and I to be able to identify the different trees that share our environment.

The street names in my area are all names of trees. Our street is 'Hazelwood Ave.', so I assumed 'hazelwood' was the name of a particular tree. Wrong. Here's the definition:

reddish-brown wood and lumber from heartwood of the sweet gum tree used to make furniture

So now I'm on a nature scavenger hunt. What is a Sweet Gum? Well, joke's on me. Here is a picture from an 19th century nature classification book:

It seems the sweet gum tree is the annoying variety that drops the 'pokey things' my kids complain about when running barefoot in our backyard. Here's a close-up of a 'pokey thing':

Sweet Gums are also called 'alligator trees' because their bark resembles the rough and deeply grained skin of that reptile. We have 2 of them in our backyard (sweet gums, not alligators), and though their leaves turn a brilliant red in the fall, the 'pokey things' just ruin it for me.

So, today's nature study (which proceeded from mama's curiosity about her street name) is that 'pokey things' come from the sweet gum tree, and hazelwood is the lumber extracted from a sweet gum for furniture. (Oh, and that my street is 'Hazelwood' because there are so many darn sweet gums rooted around the properties. Which leads me to wonder, why didn't they just name the street 'Sweet Gum Ave'????)

Here's a lovely poem my friend Angie found that somewhat redeems the 'pokey thing' aspect:

The Song of Wandering Aengus
I went out to the hazel wood,
Because a fire was in my head,
And cut and peeled a hazel wand,
And hooked a berry to a thread;
And when white moths were on the wing,
And moth-like stars were flickering out,
I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout.

When I had laid it on the floor
I went to blow the fire aflame,
But something rustled on the floor,
And some one called me by my name:
It had become a glimmering girl
With apple blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name and ran
And faded through the brightening air.

Though I am old with wandering
Through hollow lands and hilly lands,
I will find out where she has gone,
And kiss her lips and take her hands;
And walk among long dappled grass,
And pluck till time and times are done
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun.
~William Butler Yeats

If a tree that produces 'pokey things' can inspire such imagery, I suppose I can abide them for the time being. At least until next season when the "OUch!" and "OWie" song and dance begins once again in earnest.

Moments: Trick or Treat!

2006-11-03T17:14:00.000-05:00

Look out Evil-Doers! (note the fleece batman 'silk' goes with the light saber in S's interpretation of a young Anakin Skywalker....he won't leave home without it, even when mooching candy.)

G wanted to be the rescued Damsel in Distress to go with B's Knight in Shining Armor, but B thought that was "dumb". So she went as:

K practiced putting on airs for her upcoming Semi-formal. What'd ya mean 9th grade is too old to go trick 'r treatin'?

Moments: Three cheers for B!

2006-11-01T08:04:00.000-05:00

Here he is! My narration-extraordinaire! Hip Hip Hooray!

Our first real attempts at narration have been successful (and to be sure, I received affirmation from the gals on a Charlotte Mason yahoo group). So here's his first narration from chapter one of An Island Story, used in Year 1 of Amblside Online, which we recorded immediately after I read:

"Well, in this story, um, (asks quietly, "What was his name?") Neptune, um, had a son. He wanted to choose a very beautiful island for one of his sons, which was his best and favorite son. And all the mermaids and mermaid men went and told the counsel what...about islands. And Neptune and his wife kept saying "No." So, um, once a very beautiful mermaid came and told them about an island. It was jewelled like a diamond and the son and Neptune chose that one for his boy so his son lived there. He died once when he was trying to fight Hercules but Neptune ruled it then. And then he was getting too old to rule so the island ruled the seas. The end."

Pretty impressive, eh? Well, I was impressed anyway.....and I'm allowed to be 'cause I'm da mama.

For those interested, narration is simply the retelling of a passage that has been read aloud or silently. When the kiddos are under age 10, they are done orally. As they get a bit older, they learn to organize what they say into written narration (writing is talk with some rules). There's a lot of information about narration all over the web. Here is a good explanation from a popular Charlotte Mason author.

I'm amazed at how simple this seems when we're doing it. I just tell the boys I'm going to read them a story, and at the end I will ask them to tell me back what they remember. I really get into the reading, and I'm sure to do so clearly and slowly. They listen attentively, and parrot back. Charlotte said if you can narrate back any information, you own it forever.

What a gift we've been given from God in these children. He's created the child's mind to easily absorb life around them. What a priveledge and responsibility we have as parents to saturate that growing brain with good and lovely things. I hope thru narration, my boys will have their minds so crammed and so familiar with beautiful stories and language and nature, that they'll look for beauty and find it for the rest of their lives.

Musings: Charlotte Mason, some thoughts.

2006-10-27T15:00:00.000-05:00

When I first began homeschooling back in the day, I remember reading lots of books about Charlotte Mason and her methodologies on educating youngsters at the turn of the century in England. So much of it resonated with me because of her focus on honoring the child's imagination, respecting their abilities and limits, and filling their lives with the beauty of nature and literature.

Over the years, I've dabbled in many strains of homeschooling. But Charlotte's ideas always sound appealing, even if I'd never actually implemented them full-force. I find when I re-read about her, my spirit sighs, and the heaviness I sometimes feel about teaching my kids what they need to know falls aside....making room for the lovely parts of home schooling. Reading books together, watching birds, writing stories, memorizing poems, copying interesting quotes and decorating the pages, playing in the dirt, appreciating the arts, learning together. I also notice most of the books I've acquired as my 'classics' are those recommended by Ambleside Online, which is a free curriculum meant to incorporate books and schedules for those implementing a Charlotte Mason method.

Classical education dovetails nicely with CM, as she was a stringent believer in teaching Latin, focusing on excellent literature, studying history chonologically, etc. The Latin Centered Curriculum, which I've been using since the summer is extremely CM-friendly...in fact, they recommend many of the same books. I'm hoping to add more narration, more nature studies, and less formalized writing a la CM to what we're already doing with LCC.

So, there you have it.....more tweaking. And what else is there to do on a rainy afternoon I ask you?

Moments: Unthinkable

2006-10-24T08:42:00.000-05:00

This is a drawing by a child in a Darfur refugee camp.

Kinda makes writing curriculum choices seem a bit....moot. Today will be art appreciation day instead.

Please. Help.

Moments: It's official. We're going again!

2006-10-19T10:48:00.000-05:00

We get to visit The Mouse again this year, courtesy of my dh's company....only downside is the oldest 3 kiddos can't come along. :o(

We'll be staying at an off-property resort called Windsor Hills in a 3 bed/3 bath townhome with our own heated pool! See this beautiful place here.

Surely there's some great homeschooling moments in store for us again in sunny Florida this January! Nothing is as educational as going to Mickey's place....

Mumblings: Someone in marketing wasn't wearing their thinking cap.

2006-10-17T08:39:00.000-05:00

NOT the clothes I wear. (Disclaimer: This post has absolutely nothing relevant to homeschooling...but you're prolly used to that by now.) Anyway, I ventured out to a local discount retail clothing department store last night, in need of some winter attire. So as I slash my way thru racks of clothing packed tighter than sardines, I keep noticing a certain brand on the labels. In fact, my husband noticed it on another shopping excursion (because most husbands have nothing to do while their lovely wife sets up habitation in the dressing room EXCEPT notice labels). It says "Sag Harbour".

Now I ask you (as my husband asked me), what woman in her right mind (or over a size 14) would ever want to wear clothing labelled "Sag Harbour"??? Like I need reminded???? What kind of hip name is "Sag Harbour" anyway? (Not that the clothes are hip, they're not.) Maybe that explains why so much of their product line ends up in a deep discount store......hmmm. I would love to write this company and remind them that even though Christie Brinkley is their fashion model and looks oh so attractive in their digs, she'd look as good in saran wrap and sea shells too. Not to mention Christie doesn't know the term 'sag' as it relates to the rest of us, and probably won't in this lifetime. As the classic line in 'Singing in the Rain' goes, so I say: "What 'd ya think I am, dumb r somthin'?"

If I ran the corporation which produced this line of clothing, I'd have fired the goofball who suggested that brandname within a fraction of a nano-second. If only I ran the world......

*sigh*

Musings: A Noiseless Patient Spider

2006-10-15T18:55:00.000-05:00

A noiseless patient spider,
I mark'd where on the little promontory it stood isolated,
Mark'd how to explore the vacant vast surrounding,
It launch'd forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself,
Ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them.

And you, O my soul where you stand,
Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space,
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them,
Till the bridge you will need be form'd, till the ductile anchor hold,
Till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, O my soul.

~Walt Whitman

Mumblings: Why God Made Moms

2006-10-13T21:42:00.000-05:00

Got this in an email forward...too cute not to pass along, although I don't know that these were from 'real' 2nd graders. Still worth a laugh. (And we could all use some o'dat, eh?)

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions...

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother & not some other mom?
1. We're related
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home & dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Moments: It truly is a 'Right Start'

2006-10-11T13:44:00.000-05:00

Talk about a Right Start! Ok I will....

I just love this math program. My boys just love this math program. I've decided that from now on math is done on the floor, seeing as the program is completely maniputative based. I'm understanding math for the first time myself!

This program is based on the asian methods of teaching the base 10 system of math, done primarily thru the abacus. I'm just amazed at the logic of it....my boys are learning to mentally compute huge numbers by picturing the abacus in thier minds' eye. Fabulous!

Here is the website. It can get pricey, but you'll use the manipulatives over and over. Your kids will think it's 'game time', not 'math time'. I highly recommend this program. It fits with visual, kinethestic and auditory learners. It works for hares AND tortoises. It's FUN!

Misadventures: American Public High Schools

2006-10-08T12:45:00.000-05:00

This article is a sobering look at what kind of students the public high schools of America are turning out. Here is an excerpt:

"Writing skills were singled out by survey respondents as especially lacking, as 72 percent of incoming students were viewed as deficient in basic English writing skills, including grammar and spelling, especially when applied to written workplace communications such as memos and reports.
While 58 percent of responding employers said that critical thinking and problem-solving skills were very important, 70 percent rated recently-hired high school students deficient in these areas."

This is so sad. It sounds like a great piece of writing to wave in front of our public-schooling counterparts while repeating the mantra "I told you so, I told you so, I told you so". Granted I've homeschooled mainly because I don't have much faith in the institutionalized schooling options in the US, and this article fits nicely in my arsenal of weapons to use when confronted with homeschool nay-sayers. But I've decided that tooting the homeschool horn in the face of millions of children who are released into society basically illiterate is at best cocky...at worst it's prime evidence of a shocking lack of love for our neighbor.

Pulling my kids out of public school was so easy. I never again had to think about what was going on with the majority of young people inside the hallowed halls of our country's classrooms. It wasn't my business anymore. It was so easy to look down my nose at the horrible system, to rise above the masses as proof of the superiority of homeschooling.....until I had to put my kids back in the system. Funny how your perspective changes when you must embrace that which you have been so adamantly against.

I don't want to be known for what I'm against anymore. I want to be known for what I'm for. I'm for children getting a quality education no matter where they're schooled. I'm for teachers getting paid WAY more than they do currently. I'm for communities coming together to spread their talents and abilities so that no schools are left out. I want to see our schools succeed. Not just because my older kids attend public high school, but because I want to be a Good Samaritan, not a Pharisee.

Homeschoolers are going to need to grabble with depressing articles like the above because we are part of the community, regardless of how stringently we strive to protect our little offspring from the 'scary world'. I want my kids to go out and be agents of good, of kindness, of mercy in that world, not isolationists hiding behind their superior educations and supposedly fail-safe morality. Until this movement can embrace ALL the children of this generation with grace, mercy, compassion....until it stops pointing fingers, defending itself, and fighting for its 'rights'......we are no better than the aristocracy of by-gone England. The 'us against them' paradigm must be eradicated completely. If not, children will continue to suffer.

So although I've ranted and raved against the public schools only days ago (and I still shake my head and spit when I think about what my daughter went thru), I won't take my kids out of their school. Separating and isolating my family from the 'village' surrounding us will never bring a Goodly Kingdom of Love. Trying to find a 'good' school in the area isn't an option either...what of all those left at the 'bad' school? They just aren't my concern anymore?

There are many things to fear about the public schools, but the response should not be to simply abandon it, shake our finger at it, and forget the millions of other kids still working their way thru. What could happen if the homeschool families went to local school board meetings or PTA meetings and offered to tutor at-risk kids? What if they rallied politicians for better schools? What if they were active proponents of ALL children getting a quality education? Methinks we wouldn't need to defend ourselves anymore. Why can't we all work together? Why must it be 'them' at all. Why can't it be 'us'?

Musings: The technical term is 'tweaking'

2006-10-07T07:37:00.000-05:00

We're nine weeks in and the unavoidable end of the honeymoon with new curricula has come. Now comes the time when what you were sure you loved when you bought it is tested. It's also the time I usually begin rethinking what will stay a part of our curricula and what will be resold.

I've bought and sold materials for 10 years now. I've sold and re-purchased the same materials over and over ( and over). I've come to realize my first instincts are usually spot on. I'm drawn to simplicity, to no-frills-get-it-done, with lots of cool read-alouds. But I hate getting bogged down in the details. I'm a whole to parts learner myself, so the grammar stage is generally infuriating to me....I teach the details best when I've got the whole picture in mind. This steers (or should steer) my curriculum choices most of the time.

So my season of reevaluating has brought some surprising conclusions...firstly, that most of what I purchased for the year is working. Secondly, those that aren't huge hits will probably be fine for the duration. Thirdly, reading and writing, math and memorywork are still the best 'core' of our school. Slow and steady wins the race. And lastly, it's fun to add a little spice or change up completely now and then, so long as the 'core' stays consistent.

In practical terms, here's what will be changing. G will drop spelling. (Lemme hear a Woot Woot!). G is adding History Odyssey. G will finish Prima Latina, but switch to a different type of Latin (to be announced). Teaching Textbooks will replace Saxon 7/6.

For the boys, things are staying the same. Hopefully we'll add some more science to what they get at the Learning Garden and what we read in our Nature Reader.

For everyone, we're decreasing the quantity of memorywork, while focusing more on the quality. This means longer selections of poetry, scripture/worthy quotes, and Latin & Spanish vocabulary. We're also continuing with our geography study, artist study, and US Presidents. I'm still amazed every day at how much information my kiddos can collect in their wee brains!
(Several days ago while shopping at Meijer, my boys and I were meandering in the frame/prints area. Suddenly my 5 year old S, yells out "It's Van Gogh! It's Van Gogh!". And he was right, except it wasn't a print we'd studied yet....in other words, he's beginning to recognize the attributes of Van Gogh's work! He's since picked out Cassatt's work as well. I'm so pleased!)

All this doesn't mean I don't frequently have to stuff my fingers in my ears and loudly sing "La La La" when I hear others discussing the newest, greatest way to teach this-and-such. I'm still extremely impressionable when it comes to which curriculum is 'best'. That's when I have to remember it's not the curriculum, it's the teacher (and environment).

So, for once, I finally feel I've found a good balance in our homeschool. It only took 10 years. This year I've decided the honeymoon has been extended.
Tra La La.

Moments: Beautiful Music

2006-10-04T17:43:00.000-05:00

I just recieved my email update from Bead for Life, a non-profit organization helping the impoverished in Uganda. The beaders just finished their CD project and I hurriedly went to the friendly Paypal shop to order mine.

I will be hosting a Bead For Life weekend openhouse the first weekend in November. Please consider stopping by if you're around Fort Wayne IN to learn about this incredible opportunity to bless women and children who are learning to support themselves thru making these beautiful beaded products. A run-down of exactly where the profits go can be read here. Do peruse the site for inspiring stories and hear some of the songs on this page. (there are 3 songs available to hear, just click on one in the upper right green box.)

I'm excited for the chance to let my blessings be a blessing to mamas across the world!

Mad ravings: I hate public school. Let me just say that.

2006-10-03T15:43:00.000-05:00

(Edited with an update below)

Hate is a strong word. Just not strong enough. I've departed this once from the usual post descriptions because none of them do justice to this. Here we go...hold on to your seatbelts and keep your arms inside the vehicle at all times.

Yesterday, my oldest dd was removed from class, placed in a small closet-type room with a police investigator and a school dean and interrogated about some stupid letter a boy she knows (and abhors) had written. She and 2 other students were mentioned in the letter (calling her names and so forth) and then the kid wrote up a mock obituary that read "Mr. N.... was killed October 4th by students." Somehow this doodle/letter (addressed to no one and not dated) ended up in police headquarters and obviously raised some red flags given the violent shootings this week in national schools.

We've been around the block with this kid before...back in her freshman year. He and my dd (and the two other kids mentioned) were in this particular teacher's class. All three had liked dd and asked her out. She refused all of them. Since then, she's avoided the one kid when she can, and is friendly with the other two. The boy in question is a sad, obviously angry individual, but we've always considered him just immature, an irritating presence at school, someone to pity. Now I'm not so sure. It certainly hasn't done me any good to read the latest headlines.....

I'm also a bit concerned that the police can go into my daughter's school and remove her from class to interrogate her (a minor I might mention) without my permission. Evidently they wanted to be sure she wasn't either conspiring with him or was an actual 'target' for his hate. She says she was scared out of her mind and seriously intimidated to be called out of class and ushered into a tiny room with no explanation. She told them outright she was completely freaked out by the 'interview'. (Good for her!) They told her eventually she wasn't in trouble, but wouldn't give her many details as it was 'police business', and they are investigating anything out of the ordinary due to the hightened violence in public schools recently. (A good thing I suppose)

I don't know whether I'm more upset that they actually thought she might be involved in what she thinks was just stupid doodling 2 years ago, that they did this without my knowing, or that this kid will now come after her again. When she left the 'interview', she was met by this kid glaring at her as he waited his turn. He scared me then. Now he scares me more. When I picked her up after cheerleading practice, I saw him practicing as usual with the marching band. What's up with that? I'm glad they are taking seriously this boy's words and actions, but on the other hand, I'm fairly freaked out that my daughter is involved. I'm sure it will be all over the school today, seeing as she told some friends afterwards. I wish she hadn't done that. I hope she can keep her mouth shut today.

My hubby is calling the principal this morning to get an understanding (and to *give* and understanding) of what is going on. We are now very concerned about our daughter's safety and want to know what is going to happen to secure her safety. We also would like to be contacted the next time she is removed from class with no explanation to be questioned by police investigators. He also spoke to the lawyer at his office to be sure nothing was out of line. Because a female dean of students was also in the room, evidently no rules were broken. BUT, dd also had no obligation to answer questions without her parents permission/presence. She did so because we taught her to respect authority, but man oh man, who'd think to warn your kid not to speak to officers when they're being questioned? Is my life a soap opera or what? What can I expect next with this daughter????

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Someone please remind me why I thought public school was a good idea???? Is this what happens when I teach my kids to be kind to others and to respect authorities? So they can be sh*t on by the angry teenagers of their own generation, questioned by police without an advocate? I'm all for turning the other cheek, so long as it's not at my local public high school.

(Update)
My hubby contacted someone over there, and whoever it was apologized profusely that we weren't contacted...the other students' folks were called. She said "your daughter is never down here in trouble, so I had to look up her last name to even get your number, and then forgot." She also mentioned they brought her down specifically to find out if this kid had previously threatened her and if it was ongoing....not that they suspected her of anything. Well, nice...they could've told her so at the outset. This lady said my daughter was visibly nervous and shaken. Duh.

Dh wanted to know what was going on with this kid now, and evidently they are having daily conferences with his parents (mother is deceased so I don't know if he now has a stepmom) to acertain what kind of threat he is, and what kind of help/intervention can be used for him. They feel there is no immediate threat to this teacher or the other students at this point. I guess I must trust them on that. Because they've done so much to deserve my trust and all. *rolling eyes*

Misadventures: "Tut tut...looks like rain"

2006-10-02T15:57:00.000-05:00

I've branded my little band of homeschool friends "die-hards". Let me explain...

Our beloved leader Angie planned a fabulous excursion to the apple orchard for our little people. Weather report looks good all week. This mornin' a big, ugly storm dipped a *wee* bit further south than expected and dumped gargantuous drops of wet stuff on our parade.

But ONWARD we say. We're doing this thing no matter what (last two outings were cancelled due to rain). We bundle kids and head out to the country, hoping we've seen the last of the downpours. As we pull up to the parking lot, the rain begins pounding down once again. Not to be disuaded, we get umbrellas and huddle underneath, determined to wait out this 'last hurrah' from our unwelcome companion in the sky. We just knew it couldn't last forever....besides our very trustworthy forecasters are never wrong. Ahem.

Minutes dribble by, horses glare at us from the barn as if to say "Yeah, y'all look really stupid" and we realize we're just gonna have to bite the proverbial bullet and pick apples in the torrent. And mud. And lightning. And thunder. Well, by golly we did it. And we made a memory for our kiddos....they will NEVER forget *this* fieldtrip!

We gathered back at my place afterwards for some comfort food....oreos, doritos, hot chocolate, teddy grahms, purple grapes (does it get any better than that?) And low and behold, Mr. Sunshine decides to make a cameo appearance.......the little people were able to play outside a bit, and we devoted homeschool mamas chilled out on the couches.

Today's lessons for the record book are as follows:
Rain is wet. It comes from big dark clouds in the sky.
The man in the stiff suit on TV who stands in front of a map is a liar.

Oh, and oreos and hot chocolate are nectar from the gods.

I'm lovin' this journey. Many thanks to my other die-hards (A, A, and B) and their fabulicious kiddos for making this Monday one for the history books. Y'all are great!

Moments: Allergy testing

2006-09-28T13:59:00.000-05:00

Yesterday my beautiful G underwent a gruelling 2 hours of allergy testing via an innocent-sounding procedure called the 'scratch test'. IN actuality it is exactly 70 mini-shots or pokes on her back within 3 minutes. Then 15 minutes of waiting for reaction while the welts form. And the welts *did* form. And she wasn't allowed to itch or move. It was hell. My 12 yo laying face down shirtless with a grid of 70 little squares written in marker on her back while we sat trying to fam the blazing red hives to relieve her pain. She sobbed and cried. Then, joy of joys then sat her up and injected 14 more serums into her upper arms. She was shaking uncontrollably, this time so spent from her crying, that she just sat white as a ghost and little tears dribbled down her face. Oh God.

I know there are mamas who go thru this with their kids, and even worse (see my dear friend Carrie's blog) and I am SO thankful for healthy children, but for someone not used to such medical surroundings and procedures this was so unnerving. G survived, and we cancelled school for the day on behalf of her battle scars and went to Panera for treats.

The diagnosis....she is severly allergic to grasses, trees and pollen. Mildly allergic to cats and dust/dustmites. Today we head to the hospital for a CT scan to determine whether she's got chronic sinusitis. If so, we face 4 weeks of strenuous anti-biotic, as well as her new daily dose of 3 allergy meds. These will accompany her every year from April thru October for the rest of her sweet life.

*sigh*

Mumblings: I'm fine, no really, I'm ok, seriously.

2006-09-25T17:46:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my cage. Pretty, yes? Today has been one of those variety when you paste on a smile and pretend all is well, when actually you're having a hard time convincing yourself first and foremost.

I found the card on the right at a little shop last fall and became enamoured. Art can sometimes sum up my thoughts so perfectly at times, and I knew I'd return to this cameo many times in the coming years. Sometimes it reminds me that even our cages can be beautiful and it's not so bad to smile thru the hard times. Other days, like today, it reminds me how utterly dumb it is to pretend all is well when it obviously isn't.

Inside reads the caption: "It's ok, we all go a little cuckoo sometimes"...which brings me much solace on days like today.

But more often it's "Yes, please just put me in the cage where I can look pretty and perform for my public." Or "Yes, I really am nuts and belong in a birdcage." There's no beating around the bush, you're in a cage because you're wacko. End of it.

I've been in a funk for a couple days now, just spinning my wheels in the homeschooling mud. Trying to re-evaluate my reasons for doing this. And what my priorities are....this is what happens when you give advice to others and appear witty and wise (which is ever-so-easy over a computer screen, a bit more difficult IRL) . You begin to mull over your own advice, looking for the telltale signs of success and failure. I'm in a 'failure' kinda mood these last few days. There's a situation brewing in my life that has forced me to take a serious look at what kind of education in life I've handed to my older kids. And after all my wise and witty words, it looks like I'm just due for a timeout in the bird cage. I plead cuckoo.

Hm. Well this doesn't make any sense, and I can't really say what I'm meaning to say. I just happened to catch a glimse of this little card today, and it seemed to articulate artistcally the irony of parenting. At least it made for a cool graphic.

Musings: Why am I doing this anyway?

2006-09-23T13:09:00.000-05:00

This morning I was perusing the forums over at The Well Trained Mind, when I came upon some posts from mamas discussing the 'big picture' of homeschooling and so forth. So I bumbled my way into the convo and here's what came tumbling out (with a bit of editing)....

I've graduated one, and have two in public high school (the three youngers are home with me). I've decided after experiencing the requirements for the SAT's and high school level work that the MOST important ways I can spend my time is teaching WRITING, READING (including note taking and/or outlining) and MATH.

The one area all my older kids have struggled in is listening to a lecture while taking notes, then trying to use those notes to study for the tests. Also, they have no aptitude for dealing with textbooks....I should say no *patience* for them. And yet they all must deal with them on a daily basis. I wish I hadn't shied away from them so much (and of course this wouldn't be an issue for those not planning to send their kids to public institutions).

I'm also realizing that not all my kids are academically driven, and for me to force them to follow a certain curricula (ie WTM or LCC) isn't realistic at all. It takes all the joy out of the journey of learning. It also affects their perception of what is really important in life. I have one dd who really just wants to go to Africa and apprentice to a midwife in poor areas. Writing gives her fits. I still made her do it, but not to the degree I made my older kids who had apptitude in that area.

SO....with my youngers I'm focusing on memorywork (stuffing their wee brains with all kinds of beautiful poetry and prose, useful facts, and latin vocab), learning to read, and doing math. My 6th grader focuses on Math, Classical Writing, Latin and memorywork. All other studies play second fiddle and are learned mostly thru library books. I feel like these are the practical areas that will be of use someday no matter what they become. (Not that they'll need to speak Latin! But the exercise in logic to figure out that language is good for brain cells...)

Someone mentioned above about knowing why you teach what to your kids....what is it you want them to *be* or what you are preparing them for. I think this is really important, especially since I've watched 3 older kids wrestle thru college and high school. Each of them are still trying to find a 'fit' for themselves regarding an occupation. My married son in college is 'undeclared', so his music, literature, and theater profs are all telling him he has the makings of a great musician/writer/actor....now he's fairly confused about this 'hoop' of society, this coveted 'degree'. He's sort of a Jack of all trades, and enjoys many things, so it's hard to narrow it down. I guess I'm glad I succeeded in giving him the basics, and now he's free to explore a wide range of interests.

On the other hand, a very large part of me feels like I failed in the most important department, even though my son goes to school for free (based on his SAT scores) and one dd is 1st in her class....and that is teaching that knowledge puffs up (ie: it isn't good for anything if you can't be nice). I wish I'd have spent more time reminding them that the gifts of intellect are not given just to get free college tuition or to be smarter than the average bear. The gifts we are given should be stewarded in such a way as to make the world a better place...a place where all people whether 'smart' or 'dumb' feel valued and affirmed in their humanity.

My kids may be book smart, and they may not do drugs or get people pregnant....but they are still way too proud of their smarts and way too oblivious to the sufferings of others who didn't have the privelege of being homeschooled, let alone having food and clothing. They are extremely self-centered, and that has been a great disappointment to me...seeing as I've spent 10 years giving up many things to teach them at home. Evidently my modeling hasn't reaped any tasty fruit (yet.)

Sometimes I feel the lure of this consumerist/materialist culture is just too powerful, too tempting, too hard to resist. How can I model a life of gratitude. A life that knows what 'enough' looks like. I fear my sheltering ways as a young homeschooling mother have produced sanitized, individualized, smarties who can't see past the end of their noses.

In light of this epiphany, and as I have been given 2 more opportunities to get it right in the shape of my precocious boys, I'm redirecting and rethinking my values for their education. My curricula will stay the same for the most part, but I want to add a healthy dose of "we're in this life together, all of us, and we need to learn to get along and respect the uniqueness we each bring to the tribal fire. Having a two parent home in a cushy, safe neighborhood with a mommy who teaches Latin and 3 cars in the driveway (making us part of the 8% of the world's total population to even own a car).....does not a kind person make. In fact, it might make for a rather snobbish person. Especially here in Conservative-ville USA.

Why do I homeschool? What are my hopes for these kids in my care? What curriculum choices will best serve them? What if they don't have the same hopes? What if your daughter dyes her beautiful blond hair dark brown and highlights it with fire-engine red?

What do I really want my kids to take away from this 'happy familiar'? Top of the list is:
"It's better to be kind than right".
Number 2 is:
"Love God and love your neighbor"
THEN comes: read beautiful words well, write beautiful words well, and learn to compute the sale price at the local market.

If those get accomplished, I win. I'm still waiting for the results to come in.....

Mumblings: How 'bout a real post?

2006-09-18T10:10:00.000-05:00

Today the very kind mailperson deposited a smooth, white priority package. What a way to jump-start this Monday morning! Inside I find the new History Odyssey Ancient History Level 2 Study Guide and Map packet from Classical Home Education (Pandia Press) . I had all but abandoned my chonological study of history this year for a two-stream history study of Classical and Early American studies congruously. Well, it's time for some tweaking. I find I miss the in- depth study of a particular time frame. So I re-purchased the guide (having bought it in the spring and reselling it at the start of the school year....because I am a homeschool mother).

For those following a Classical bent, these guides are a treasure trove of activities and readings. For my particular logic stage student, it also teaches outlining, mapping, and requires reports and timeline analysis. It's a no-brainer for me. And, I'm all about that. I haven't altogether ditched the Classical Studies outlined in The Latin-Centered Education, having decided our 60 minute read aloud time will focus primarily on Greek and Roman Myths, literature, and personalities....but we've dropped the Modern Studies (American History) for now. I really like the idea of always having some sort of exposure each year to the Greek and Roman time periods, no matter what our formal history study will be, as so much modern literature resonates with ancient Greek and Roman culture.

So if it's all Greek to you, and when in Rome you'd like to do as the Romans do.....check out History Odyssey. I'll report in again after we've engaged the guide in practice.

Moments #2: My Beautiful Boys....

2006-09-13T17:48:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I know. There just aren't words.

My man C at the top, and my male prodigy C, S, and B all looking mighty fine.

Moments: The most beautiful girls in the world

2006-09-13T17:37:00.000-05:00

So I haven't done much school this week due to an exhorbitant amount of time spent editing pictures...I've finally decided to DO something with the stacks and stacks of photos in my basement and the files and files of pictures on our hard drive.

So here's G., M., and K....they just don't come purtier than that, eh?

Moments: "Once I saw a little bird..."

2006-09-05T14:53:00.000-05:00

I spoke previously about our memorywork and recitation time in this post and wanted to show you my little guys' sunshiny faces after acting out one of our poems. They made the bird puppets to go with our poem using Literature Pockets. What fun!

Moments: Here at the Garden

2006-09-05T13:04:00.000-05:00

The LAKESIDE LEARNING GARDEN that is.

Everyone needs to know about this place...

If you homeschool or have wee wiggly toddlers and preschoolers in the Fort Wayne area, come visit Angie (and her adorable, precious, precocious kidlets) for story times, wonderful classes, and BOOKS! She buys and sells used curriculum and fun games. Children are always welcome....there's a romper room area full of imaginative playthings to keep the young'uns occupied while parents can peruse the shelves or enjoy groovy bonding time with the big people (some of the nicest you'll meet). I love this place. My kids love this place. YOU'LL love this place. Please stop by for some good old fashioned fellowship and fun. The coffee's on!

Musings: The Twilght Zone

2006-09-04T11:24:00.000-05:00

I've decided I much prefer toddlers to teens. Certainly toddlers can exhaust their poor mother physically with all the chasing, tying shoes, wiping noses and bottoms, fixing vittles, and the other myriad and sundry activities required for raising little people. It's enough to leave a young mama longing for those independent years when the kids can do stuff for themselves. But don't wish too hard.....

Having offspring at both ends of the spectrum now, let me just tell ya: Teens are every bit as exhausting. They may not drain you physically any more, but they will stretch your emotional and intellectual energy to capacity....then need more. Don't get me wrong, I love my teens. Not that I haven't murmured to the contrary recently, but I generally find life, um, stimulating with adolescents.

Something else I've noticed is how much more I worry about how their actions reflect on me. I'm a rather self-absorbed kinda gal, and I've always been concerned with what others thought of me. I use to be a pro at 'tweaking' myself, rearranging my personality so I'd fit in with a certain social situation. Unfortunately, that little dance doesn't end in high school. As a young parent (expecially in the conservative circles I used to run with), I felt constantly under the gaze of my peers. If Bucky-Boy was respectful and kind around others, then by golly I was gonna have my kid live up to that standard too. Even if I had to shame him into acting that way. Not modeling it, mind you. Just imposing it and leaving the poor kid to figure it out on his own. Sick.

So just when I think I'm moving past this wacked parenting paradigm, I find myself with teenagers on the brink of adulthood. I'm still worried about how their actions reflect on me, but now I don't give a noodle what others think......instead I worry about how they'll cope with the crap I've handed to them. Those obnoxious attitudes and immature behaviors that they reflect back to me every day. I see in them the unrefined rawness and the vulnerability that still lurks under my calm, cool facade.

I used to think I had all the time in the world to grow up and get it together so that my kids would have a slightly normal mother and therefore have a decent shot at being slightly normal themselves. Now I understand that was a severe miscalculation. Before you have a chance to mature, The Powers the Be hand you children. And when you're finally moving toward your 40's, behaving in a less selfish, more loving manner, those kids morph into teenagers just to remind you that YES, you are *still* from outer space just like them, regardless of polite manners and meticulously applied personas.

We all must walk the same worn path to adulthood....one that includes rolling eyes, deep sighs, ecstatic highs and horrifying lows. It's exhausting for everyone, yet profound LIVING begins to happen for me if I can just grab hold of Grace and realize the only difference between them and me (besides some stretchmarks and wrinkles) is life experience. I don't need to worry how they'll survive the particular goofiness I've passed down to them.....it's happening everywhere throughout the world, throughout time...the awkward emergence of unique, if quirky, individuals who all need to learn to play nice. We are all learning the lesson of being kind, not right. It's just that you (think you) can force toddlers to do it. Teenagers must discover it. And we all discover best by observing. Not by being told over and over...

I think perhaps I'll just climb aboard the spaceship with my teenagers, and enjoy the ride.

Moments: That's My Girl!

2006-09-02T10:26:00.000-05:00

Here is an excellent example of my daughter (center) K's ability to let it all hang out....not only is she able to get all the other gals to join in her 'pose'....she did this in front of a full grandstand of football fans. Oh, that I'd have been so carefree and confident at her age! She's a happy girl, despite a rather rough transition into public school life these past 2 weeks. I'm still reeling from the fact that she's even IN high school. Time flies.

Moments: A Day in the Life

2006-09-01T12:30:00.000-05:00

So raise your hand if you have boys between the ages of 7 and 5....

I realize of course you may possibly fall into that category and are unable to wrestle your arms away from holding your two precious sons away from each other....I understand.

Today I called recess. For the rest of the day. I really don't want to say PLEASE STOP ever again in this lifetime. And I'm rather tired of hearing potty talk (is there some way to tie farts into a science lesson?) I think we'll have Lego day.

Fridays can be trying. Not in the mood for trying today. In the mood for a nap. Did I mention my boys have been wearing the same clothes for 4 days? Uh huh. That's what happens when mama is too lazy to walk upstairs and pick out decent clothes for her children.

Hmmmm. I hear thumping upstairs. Any ideas what that might be? You get one guess.

Curriculum I'm Looking For (updated 9/06)

2006-09-01T12:16:00.000-05:00

~Evan Moor:
Geography Centers Grades 4-5
Making Books with Pockets-August and November
Daily Language Review Grade 6

~Explode the Code 4, 5 and 6

~Classical Writing's newest set for Older Beginners (Aesop and Homer)

~DIVE 7/6 (Fourth Edition)

~Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia

~Resources for History Odyssesy Level 2 Ancients

~Right Start abucus

~Color and Learn Science and History titles

Curriculum I'm Selling

2006-09-01T12:14:00.000-05:00

Nothing here right now....just give me another month or so!

Musings: Classical Stages-A Perspective

2006-09-01T11:34:00.000-05:00

I've been involved with classical education for a few years now....I should say I've done a fair amount of READING about it, and apply the general philosphies to my own homeschool without becoming overly concerned with anyone's particular methodology in using it.

So let me first give an brief synopsis or working definition of what classical is for me, and how it is helping me make sense of the realities in my life at present.

Classical Education affirms three stages of learning growing children pass thru as they aquire an education. The first is the Grammar Stage. The experts and practitioners disagree a bit about what specific ages this includes, but generally it is the elementary years. It is during this time they are learning the 'grammar' of reading, of arithmetic, of English (nouns, verbs, etc.) They aquire bits of information that become tools to further learning. They are the basics. They don't really relate to each other in the child's mind at this point. It's simply storing knowledge bits in their little sponge-like brains to be drawn upon at a later stage of learning, which is why memory work is stressed and fairly painless during these years.

For example, my 5 and 7 year olds are learning by rote memorization and daily recitation the helping verbs. They don't have a flippin' clue as to what a verb is, and why they help. But when they do learn this info (3rd grade-ish), they will be able to draw on that memorized list and apply what they know. In just 5 weeks, the boys have memorized 4 poems, 5 nursery rhymes, a Latin prayer, the Star Spangled Banner, the continents and oceans, the first 5 presidents, 4 famous paintings, their address/phone/birthdays, 5 scripture verses, 25 Latin vocabulary words, Spanish colors and words of greeting, and the days of the week. We just work our way thru all of it at the start of each day.

I don't share to brag (except for Gramma's sake!), but to illustrate how easily things are committed to memory at this age. We just recite every day. I like that I'm filling their brains with wonderful words and information that will be pertinent to life later on.

The second phase is called the Logic Stage. At this point, (roughly, the middle school years) kids are beginning to make some logical connections between all the sound bits of information they've accumulated over the elementary years. Classical educators will begin to use props such as timelines to connect the dots of events in a congruent manner, or will diagram sentences to show the logic of sentence structure. Studies in Mathematics begins to be more abstract as the basic functions of arithmetic stretch their muscles.

Here's an example from our homeschool. When my daughter was an 8th grader, she studied not only the facts about the Civil War, but began making observations about the very grey areas of this war.....who was right? who was wrong? who won? did the end justify the means? was slavery the 'cause' of this war? and so forth. She began to engage her logical brain to see the whole picture, not just the individual 'facts' or parts (Union wore blue, Confederates had slaves). It is a stretching time, and a time of frustration and disillusionment at times. (What do you mean some people in the North owned slaves? What are States Rights?) It's a transitional period that often shoves the child past old comfort zones of believing everything she's read in simplistic black and white terms, and then regurgitating these terms for a test. She begins to ask 'why?' and many times bristles over the very few definitive answers. It often takes unpleasant work to push past the frustration. On the positive side, it can also be a tremendous time of 'light bulb moments' when things begin to make sense, or seem FINALLY to have a purpose. It can be exhilarating to engage mental faculties just beginning to open wide the gate to incredible discovery! Due to all these factors, I think this may be the most tumultuous stage. And, of course, infamous hormones of puberty begin exerting themselves just to stir the pot.

The Rhetoric Stage is the final stop and is coorelated with the high school years. It is at this time that all the information and connections made previously are assimilated into the student's life. They begin to show command of this knowledge by manipulating the information/connections into written forms. The rhetoric student will begin to sort and sift incoming knowledge as they make critical desicions on how it affects their values, beliefs, point-of-view. Students in this stage are supposed to fine tune all their skills, learn to write eloquently, coherently, and truthfully about life. And these articulate findings should inform their behavior and life decisions. (In a perfect world!)

So....I went thru all that to articulate the following thoughts bumbling around in my brain. I'm still wrestling with becoming a full-fledged student of rhetoric myself. *grin*

Each of us go thru all three stages as we attempt to learn new information. We always start with the grammar stage, move to the logic stage, then (hopefully) arrive at the rhetoric stage. For instance, if as an adult you decide to learn to play an instrument, you should probably begin by learning the 'grammar' of the particular instrument that interests you. You learn the parts of it, how to care for it, how to tune it, what notes are, where they are found and how to play them, etc. You learn scales or chords or strums and you practice them over and over and over, and you listen to others (hopefully the masters) and try to copy them.....soon you are ready to make some connections. You play songs! Welcome to the logic stage. Here there is purpose to the hard work of learning the 'grammar' of which notes are what, how to hold your hands, playing endless scales. You begin to really enjoy playing other's music. If you stick with it, you begin to write your own music, try new techniques, and coherently express all the knowledge you've acquired to SAY something in an original way. In other words, you own it.

As adults we can move thru the stages much more quickly than our kids, but we still follow the same process. And the stages often overlap, or sometimes we'll start using techniques better suited for logic learning, and have to backtrack to the grammar stage eventually to pick up items that are necessary for the demands of the rhetoric stage. We generally don't like the grammar stage, probably because it's where the greatest learning curve is felt.

For example, in my life I learned to play guitar as an adult. I didn't take time to learn scales or theory of music. I just had friends teach me chords and strums and started right in with playing songs. I wrote songs and enjoyed playing with and for friends. But I've never been able to really 'own' that instrument, and have had many frustrating moments trying to write or play songs that require knowledge that is generally learned and mastered in the grammar phase.....So I will stay 'stuck' in that frustrating transitional stage called 'logic', writing mediocre songs and struggling with chord progressions until I go back and learn the grammar of guitar playing. As adults, we may learn faster, but children tend to learn better in the grammar stage as their little brains absorb information so easily. Learning the grammar of a thing is tedious, but children generally don't struggle as often or as much as adults.

So, what stages do you find yourself in these days, and in what areas of learning? Are you just gathering information, or have you begun to make connections in your brain? Is there any area you feel you have completely assimilated, made your own in such a way that you can articulate either in words or lifestyle?

I'll share my current process on my other blog in the next few days.

Misadventures: Latin for 'fish'

2006-08-31T21:34:00.000-05:00

Yes. Another post on opening day. I've now moved into obsessive compulsion about my new blog. Oh well. Send me a Little Debbie oatmeal pie, and I'll recover by morning.

So how about a homeschooling moment? For the last few weeks S,B, G and I have been trying our hand at learning some Latin. If you want to know why we're doing this, your options are:
a) we're gluttons for punishment
b) I'm ignoring my own advice (see previous post) and producing Trophy Children
or
c) I became convinced of the benefits after reading A Latin-Centered Curriculum by Andrew Campbell.

No hints. But I lean towards 'c'.

Anyway, part of our course is learning Latin prayers. Our first is The Sanctus. It goes something like this:
Oremus (Let us pray)
Sanctus, Sanctus, Santus (Holy, Holy, Holy)
Dominus Deus Sabbaoth (Lord God of Hosts)
Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria Tua (Heaven and earth are full of Your glory)

(I'll stop there, as the rest isn't germaine to this post, and really, did you want to read the rest?)

Now because life is quirky in ways that escape me, my children have very little difficulty pronouncing these ancient words. I, on the other hand, foam at the mouth trying to spit these syllables out in a coherent fashion. Nevertheless, I put my heart into it and chant along with them, kleenex close at hand. So last week I was feeling pretty confident about my efforts up to that point, and as we reverently and respectfully moved toward the last line, I loudly proclaimed,

"Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria TUNA."

(insert several long moments of my wicked children gafawing in peals of hysterical laughter)

Hmmm. So perhaps we'll just skip ahead to the Doxology. I'm hoping that prayer won't reference anything having to do with noodle casseroles, pickle relish, or mayo. But just in case, I'll be mouthing it, all the while harboring bitter feelings toward the Romans who came up with this unpronounceable verbage.

More Mumblings: An Amendment

2006-08-31T20:57:00.000-05:00

Maybe I should introduce myself in the unlikely event that some poor soul who hasn't had the pleasure of knowing me meanders into this humble blog space....you know, just in case.

I'm C. I'm almost 40. I'm married to C. I birthed 6 perfectly obedient, extremely talented, and extrordinarily gorgeous children. I'm a mother-in-law to another stunning speciman as well. I've dabbled in many things.....I like music, used to sing and write a bit, dabble in doula work, and sew baby slings. Homeschooling and driving my kids crazy...er, I mean driving my kids around town take up the biggest chunks of my day. I'm a very nice person. Extremely nice. I'm also fluent in 4 languages. Ok, not really.

My prodigy are as follows:
1) C. 20, married to A., and in college. Fabulous musician, but don't take my word for it.
2) M. on the verge of 17, beautiful beyond words, and a junior in the local high school.
3) K. just turning 15, unbelievably attractive, experiencing her first year in public school as a frosh.
4) G. 12, prettiest little thing you ever laid eyes on, schooling at home with mama.
5) B. 7, amazingly brilliant, dropping teeth like the leaves in fall, and home with me.
6) S. 5, tremdously uh, active, and home with me (usually hanging from the ceiling).

Mumblings: So what's this all about anyway?

2006-08-31T20:55:00.000-05:00

Another day, another blog. Ho hum.

The purpose in starting this little dealio is two-fold (with a smattering of other non-descript motives). And since I have your undivided attention, why don't I just dive right in and enlighten you, eh?

Firstly, it seems I inadvertantly became an expert in homeschooling. Not because I'm so good at it, or that I've produced fabulously intelligent kids....but because I find after 10 years I'm still going at it. Plus I'm an armchair curriculum researcher. Which can be a very good thing....or a very bad thing....depending on how much I'm really getting done doing that which I'm reading about in catalogues, books and internet forums. Ahem.

So here I am suddenly volleying questions lobbed at me from those quirky creatures affectionately called newbies. I think my greatest advice to give is this: don't try to produce trophy kids. Don't do it. Avoid it like the plague. Teach 'em to read, write and do math. Read aloud from as many different genres as you can. And keep Little Debbie in your thoughts and in your pantry at all times. (Did I just type that out loud???)

Secondly, believe it or not, I have several family members and friends who actually give a doodie to know what's going on in my little universe....or at least my kids' little universes. This blog is my effort to keep them informed of the goings on in the kids' educational journeys, the goings on in my brain whether foul or fair (keeping the foul to a minimum), and helping inform the masses of little tid-bits I find interesting.

Excited yet? Oh boy, I am. Truly.

Musings: Happy Familiars

2006-08-31T20:52:00.000-05:00

The fear of monotony can have a deadening effect on me. In fact, I often inadvertantly find myself avoiding routine, pattern, or schedule in an effort to keep things unpredictable. I'm a planner, constantly throwing the weight of my creative energy into an unseen future, which leaves many dangling moments in the present. And the fruit of this, much to my dismay, is my noticeable and surprising lack of memories. Memories which are made in the moment, not planned for in the future. Fortunately, I'm learning this chaotic state of flux itself can become a dirge of frenetic, draining activity which, in the end, leaves me feeling out of sync, behind, undisciplined, and well, cranky. My kids naturally follow suit. Funny how it works that way....

As I am constantly trying to simplify my life, to slow down and really train myself to experience life in each moment, I'm slowly finding refuge and even a hidden beauty in the steady hum-drum rhythms of my day. 'Familiars' that can anchor my fleeting fancies to the rugged realities, these mundane consistencies are the defining underpinnings of a life lived on purpose. The oft-quoted cliche "Variety is the spice of life" should probably be balanced with an understanding that the monotonies of life are the indispensable meat and potatoes, without which the spices are useless. I've decided variety, like one of a plethora of pungent herbs housed in miniture glass jars in my cupboard, isn't meant to be solitarily consumed. It leaves one with an overpowering, bitter, and/or decidedly nasty aftertaste.......as well as an antsy sense of malnutrition.

My happy familiars are things that on the surface appear boring, predictable, run-of-the-mill.....showering, cooking, schooling kids, laundry, dusting (uh, scratch that, as it's an unheard-of activity at the Hazelwood Manor). I'm wanting once again to embrace them for the humble servants and wise counselors they are. I've too long taken for granted their ability to nourish my life, to be my foundation, to keep time like the drum line in a high school marching band. Together they represent the default setting that runs on auto-pilot when life spins into the land of insanity (which is just about every day). They are the arms of safety when life gets too hard and too hairy....as a mother's arms comfort a child overwhelmed by the complexities of a life out of kilter. And that's what I want Hazelwood Manor to represent: a 'something bigger' that can be trusted as a safe, predictable place to rest when all hell breaks loose....a peaceable kingdom of squishy, stained couches, unfashionable stacks of Corelleware next to the sink, lumpy loads of laundry piled high, wilting flowers making a brave last stand on a dining room table that wasn't wiped up after the last round of burritos and chips. (Obviously, I have many more opportunities to establish even more 'happy familiars'!)

I'd love to be the Mary Cassatt of homemakers, who can fashion the ordinary occurances, the monotonous moments, the daily drugeries of life into idyllic still-lifes that affirm the very heart of what it is to be a human in loving relationships, created in the image of a God of loving relationships. So may the steady hum of the washing machine, the quiet sweep of magazine pages turning, the murmur of my voice droning on thru The Illiad and Uncle Wiggly and Dr. Seuss, the wafting smell of beef and noodles in the beloved white crock pot, the sight of my voluptuous frame perched at the computer, the stairwell neatly littered with 'stuff that needs to go upstairs'....may all these 'happy familiars' sustain the lives of those who dwell here. And may I discern those familiar routines that affirm the important stuff and give freedom to forget what just ain't gonna count in the gigantic metanarrative of my life.

How's that for a start?

ON THE TURNTABLE (Current playlist)

2006-08-31T20:36:00.000-05:00

Here's what I jam to in the car.

Alabaster Fox: Son of Man (my son!)
American Songbook series: Rod Stewart
My Name is Barbra: Barbra Streisand
Awake: Josh Grobin
Impossible Dream: Patty Griffin
Flaming Red: Patty Griffin
Living with Ghosts: Patty Griffin

ON THE OTHER BOOKSHELF NEARBY (Personal favorites)

2006-08-31T20:27:00.000-05:00

The defining books in my journey. Some I've read ages ago, some recently, some re-read regularly.

Non-fiction:
Irrisistible Revolution by Shane Claibourne
Simply Christian by N.T. Wright
The Latin-Centered Curriculum by Andrew Campbell
Plan B: Further Thoughts on God by Anne Lamott
Grace (Eventually) by Anne Lamott
Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott
Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell
Generous Orthodoxy Brian McLaren
New Kind of Christian trilogy by Brian McLaren
Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
Life Together by Deitrich Bonhoeffer
Waking the Dead by John Eldredge
The Heart of Christianity by Marcus Borg
Glimses of Grace by Madeleine L'Engle
Boundaries by Cloud and Townsend

Literature and Fiction
Anna Karenina
Pride and Prejudice
Howard's End
A Room with a View
The Book of the Dunn Cow
Hind's Feet on High Places
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Across Five Aprils
The Scarlet Letter
The Red Tent
Stargirl

ON THE NIGHTSTAND (Current personal reads)

2006-08-31T20:21:00.000-05:00

A peek into the pile that tucks me in at night. Hubby and I generally read these together. I will make these active links eventually, just so y'all believe they are real. Or you can visit our other blog to read more about them.

Colossians Remixed by Walsh and Keesmaat
Simply Christian by N.T. Wright
UnSpeakAble by Os Guiness
Praying with the Church by Scot McKnight

ON THE BOOKSHELF NEARBY (Family Favorites)

2006-08-31T20:13:00.000-05:00

This is where I'll compile a list of our all-time favorite Read Alouds....those tomes that are handled with kid-gloves and receive many requests for another go 'round.

Chapter books:
The Chronicles of Narnia
Homer Price
Rats of NHIM
Across Five Aprils
Little Pilgrim's Progress
Hind's Feet on High Places for Children

Picture books:
Anything from the 20th Century Treasury
Goodnight Moon
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Make Way for Ducklings
St. George and the Dragon
Corduroy